09/22/2017
What an SRO is Not
The SRO program is much more multi-faceted than just placing a law enforcement officer in the school in the hopes that all problems related to school safety will be solved. The SRO needs to become a regular part of the school community, viewed and treated like another faculty member. Only then will the school truly benefit from the many opportunities having a school resource officer can bring.
First and foremost, we should examine what a school resource officer is, not to get a better understanding of what he/she truly is all about.
An SRO is not a replacement for existing school security practices. School security is much more involved than just a uniform and badge. Security involves everyone in the school including the administrators, teachers, custodial staff, nurse, counseling staff and support personnel. Thus, the SRO should not be utilized exclusively as a security guard to check identification, parking permits, or monitor the hallways and cafeterias. This would place too much responsibility on one person and waste the valuable resources of a highly trained professional.
An SRO is not a disciplinarian. For the school resource officer to hand out suspensions and/or detentions would be like the school principal making arrests. This responsibility for administrators should remain as such so as not to confuse the role of the SRO as a law enforcement officer. This is not to say the SRO cannot enforce school rules; quite the contrary. As a regular member of the faculty it is a vital responsibility that the SRO follows normal school procedures when observing or faced with rules violations.
