Hometown Rankin- February 2018

Batman has superhero talents - one of which is the uncanny ability to detect evil and seek
to eradicate it. The result is a safer and happier society for enjoying life. Sometimes we wish
for a real superhero to address some of the issues and challenges we face in a society that’s
often plagued with evil. Citizens in Richland may not know it, but one of their own emulates
several of Batman’s qualities.
Jeffrey Grace grew up in Clarksdale, Mississippi,
attending high school there and playing basketball and
running track. He remembers his childhood with fondness
even though his dad passed away when he was three.
Grace listened as his older brother warned him about
running with the wrong crowd and avoiding
any gang involvements.
Grace continued his education at Coahoma Community
College and Bethel University where he earned a basketball
scholarship. After college, Grace had a desire to be a civil
servant and first thought that a fireman’s vocation would be
his choice. Isaac Morris, Grace’s uncle, thought otherwise
because he had always wanted Grace to be a policeman.
Grace followed his uncle’s wishes.
For five and a half years, Grace served as a policeman
in Florence where he started out on patrol. Part of his
assignment was serving as crossing guard for the schools.
On one of those times prior to Halloween, Grace told his
police chief that he was going to dress up as Batman,
(Grace’s favorite superhero), at the school crossing.
For a man who’s been an athlete all his life and who
chooses workouts as one of his hobbies, a Batman costume
didn’t come in his size! No problem. Grace added a Batman
mask, shirt and cape to his policeman’s uniform and got
the attention of every school child that passed his crossing.
Batman had arrived in Florence!
While serving in Florence, Grace began teaching the
DARE program—Drug Abuse Resistance Education. He
looks for the Richland Police Department to implement
this program where he hopes to continue teaching. Grace
believes it to be a wonderful program and very rewarding
as a teacher. He recalls fifth graders coming to him after
teaching sessions and saying, “I’m not going to be like my dad.”
“If I can just reach one, it’s worth all of my time,” Grace
says about teaching the DARE program. In his job, he sees
the danger of drugs on a daily basis and their ease in
procuring as a reason for their growing threat. He also said,
“The dealers are another huge problem; so many people
have their hands in the drug industry.”
It doesn’t take long to sense Grace’s interest and
concern for the future generation. He’s coached Upward
Basketball for two years as his schedule has allowed, and
finds his greatest joy in putting smiles on the faces of
young children. “I want to help kids appreciate policemen
and their work,” he says.
Residents of Richland may not see Grace in a Batman
costume, but if he bares his bulletproof vest, they will see his
Batman logo. It’s close to his heart and a daily reminder of
his desire for a safer and happier place for Richland kids. n
Hometown Rankin • 21