Note: The following item was provided by the City of Cedartown’s Facebook page. – KtE

A career in law enforcement was once a dream of Officer Teress Henderson. With a few interesting twists and turns along the way, she tackled that goal. But now, after a rewarding 15 years in law enforcement, Officer Henderson has come full circle. She’s living the dream of retirement.

She completed her law enforcement career on July 1 and was honored by the City, commissioners, and family with a reception and accolades at the monthly meeting of the commission.

Henderson reflects that the road to becoming a police officer took a little while, but with the right encouragement and a bit of television magic, she eventually pinned on her badge and hit the road on patrol. “You’ll probably laugh when I say this,” Henderson said with a chuckle, “But the 1980s television show

“Policewoman” kinda inspired me to look in to a career as an officer.”But as with most dreams, life decided to take a detour and Henderson ended up working as a young adult for the Polk School District. Then came babies and job security and before you know it, 14 years had passed. She decided to go back to school and thought accounting might be a good path, but the badge kept calling her name.

“I changed direction and decided to go back for a degree in criminal justice. I had a friend that worked in law enforcement in Rome, they encouraged me to go for it, and I was added to the force there in 1995,” Henderson said.

From Rome, she eventually found her way back to Cedartown. She obviously did her time ‘keeping the peace’ but also had time to enjoy working with the Explorers Program. The program is designed for young people who are interested in careers in law enforcement. As she recalled some of her best policing moments, Henderson said her work with the Explorers was definitely one of the highlights.

She was credited at the City Commission meeting for one particular accomplishment that received a lot of publicity: state certification of the police department. She served as certification manager, while also holding the title of evidence custodian, through that painstaking process and though it was certainly a feather in her cap, Henderson said it pales in comparison to what she feels was her biggest accomplishment.

“A lot of people will point to the certification and say that was the highlight, but for me, I feel my greatest achievement was being a good officer but also keeping my family as my main focus. I am so proud of my kids and where they are,” Henderson beamed.

So now that her police work is done, what is she looking forward to the most? It’s no surprise that spending time with her family tops the list. She’s already busying herself with keeping her two-year-old grandson for a while. When she’s not busy with him, she’ll be happy to go play in the dirt and pick up a paintbrush.

“Gardening is one of my hobbies and I enjoy painting,” she said. Vincent van Gogh and Claude Monet are two of her favorites.

Henderson will now have an extra special place to sit and view her garden (and play with her grandkids) thanks to the City.

On Monday, July 12, she was honored for her service and dedication and presented with a special handmade swing.

“We hate to lose an officer like her,” said City Manager Edward Guzman. “She was a fantastic officer and will certainly be missed.”