What is a School Resource Officer (SRO)?
A school resource officer, or SRO, is a uniformed street police officer who volunteers and is assigned to one or more schools as his beat. The SRO is part of a community-oriented policing program focusing on building collaboration and strong relationships between police agencies and community members. The SRO acts as a liaison between the school, students, parents, and the police. The primary mission of the SRO is the reduction of youth crime, particularly in and near the schools. The goals of the SRO program are to support school staff in efforts to provide a safe, productive learning environment, to educate students about law-related issues, and to positively affect student behavior and decision-making. In addition, the program supports comprehensive proactive partnerships among police, youth and the community, as well as establishing close working relationships and better information sharing with school personnel. The SRO serves as a mentor and role model for students and as a law related educator of students, as well as a deterrent to crime in the school.
In those locations that have implemented the SRO program, it has proven to be a highly valued program due to its social impact and preventative effects as much as for the actual law enforcement function. Most schools have reported that this program is a highly valuable and desirable asset.
