COPS Office: SRO

What is a School Resource Officer?

SROs are sworn law enforcement officers responsible for providing security and crime prevention services in the school environment. A local police department, sheriff's agency, or school system typically employs SROs who work closely with school administrators in an effort to create a safer environment for both students and staff. The responsibilities of SROs are similar to regular police officers in that they have the ability to make arrests, respond to calls for service, and document incidents that occur within their jurisdiction.

Officers should take the initiative to finalize school safety planning and build partnerships for future needs. An officer's primary responsibility is law enforcement; however, whenever possible, SROs should strive to employ non-punitive techniques when interacting with students, and an arrest should be used only as a last resort under specified circumstances. SROs play an integral role in the educational system and should positively impact the school environment.

Law Enforcer

Promoting safety in or around the school by addressing crime and fear of crime, while serving as a liaison between the school and outside agencies.
– Addressing School-Related Crime and Disorder
– Community Policing Defined
– School-Based Partnerships: A Problem-Solving Strategy
– School Vandalism and Break-Ins
– Traffic Congestion Around Schools
– Campus Threat Assessment Case Studies: A Training Tool for Investigation, Evaluation, and Intervention

Informal Counselor

Building relationships and reinforcing positive behaviors, while connecting youth with needed services.
– Bullying in Schools
– The Stop Snitching Phenomenon: Breaking the Code of Silence
– Child Abuse and Neglect in the Home

Educator

Teaching and demonstrating topics related to law enforcement geared toward positive student behavior and collaborating with stakeholder groups.
– Because Things Happen Every Day: Responding to Teenage Victims of Crime, Discussion Guide
– Underage Drinking

Emergency Manager

Developing and implementing comprehensive safety plans or strategies, in coordination with school administrators and local first responders.
– Bomb Threats in Schools
– Guide for Preventing and Responding to School Violence, 2nd Edition

Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)

To ensure collaboration between the law enforcement agency and the educational community, an agency receiving funding for SROs will be required to submit an MOU to the COPS Office prior to implementing its CHP grant. For more information please review the MOU Fact Sheet.

Training

CHP SRO-prioritized grantees have the opportunity to voluntarily attend a National Association of School Resource Officers (NASRO) training course. For more information please review the Training Fact Sheet.

Assessments

The level of safety in a school must be assessed using multiple indicators that apply to the total school environment. Assessments are one of the most effective ways to identify significant gaps in emergency planning before an incident reveals them with chronic plan failure. For more information please review the assessment models.

School Discipline

The Departments of Justice and Education have jointly issued School Discipline Guidance to Promote Safe, Inclusive Schools. Read More.

Engaging Partners in School Emergency Management