A school resource officer (SRO) is a sworn law enforcement officer with arrest powers who works, either full or part-time, in a school setting. They are responsible for the safety and crime prevention in schools. SROs are carefully selected, specifically trained, and properly equipped law enforcement officers with sworn authority, trained in school-based law enforcement and crisis response and assigned by an employing law enforcement agency to work collaboratively with one or more schools using community-oriented policing concepts.
The role of an SRO is to perform three major roles: law enforcement officer, law-related counselor, and law-related educator. As a law enforcement officer, the SRO assists the school administration in maintaining a safe and secure environment. They provide a highly visible presence to deter or identify trespassers on campus and address concerns such as loitering, stop signs, or other safety issues. As a law-related counselor, the SRO provides informal mentoring and counseling to students. As a law-related educator, the SRO teaches classes on topics such as drug prevention, bullying, and internet safety.
SROs are armed, and most carry other restraints like handcuffs as well. They play a key role in gathering information in identifying and monitoring a student for follow-up after a threat has been made. Research from psychologists has shown that SROs help to establish better school climates, reduce suspensions without racial bias, and help to prevent violence to both self and others.
It is important that SROs are carefully selected and trained to work in a school environment. The National Association of School Resource Officers (NASRO) recommends that sufficient federal, state, and/or local funding be made available to place at least one carefully selected, specially trained school resource officer in every school in the nation.
