School Resource Officers

Safer schools are a key outcome for SS/HS sites. SS/HS law enforcement partners often use school resource officers (SROs) as an effective strategy for increasing school safety. SROs will be most successful when

• Law enforcement is seen as a full partner, with contributions to make within all SS/HS elements
• School administrators are involved in hiring the right officer and in subsequently training and evaluating the officer
• School staff and SROs are able to communicate about their different professional cultures and their resulting differences in expectations, rules, and styles.

SROs can have many roles:

• As teachers: implementing evidence-based interventions such as Aggression Replacement Therapy; educating students about law-related topics; sharing information with other staff on adjudicated youth
• As counselors: acting as mentors; meeting one-on-one with students at risk; referring students to mental health staff; mediating conflicts
• As law enforcers: working with truant students; enforcing policies regarding weapons-carrying and alcohol, tobacco, and other drug use, as well as other zero-tolerance policies; intervening in aggressive behaviors; providing security; contributing to restorative justice practices
• As resources: advising on school safety; developing crisis planning, and creating safety policies

SROs also serve a key function linking schools to other law enforcement systems with which youth are involved, including juvenile justice systems, such as probation and juvenile courts.