A well-founded School Resource Officer program is one of the best school security investments a community can make. The return on that investment, however, goes well beyond school security.
Before the 1999 school tragedy in Columbine, Colorado, the role of the police officer on a school campus was primarily one of being an enforcer and a deterrent. The officer intervened in criminal and drug activity, provided basic security, and otherwise was meant to be a visible presence so that both students and dangerous adults would think twice before committing a criminal act. Unfortunately, what Columbine and similar tragedies taught us was that a police presence isn’t as effective a deterrent as our society had hoped.
What the latest research clearly demonstrates is that the best way to deter criminal activity in a school is for the officer to be more than merely present in the building. The most effective way to keep our kids safe, and help them thrive, is for the officer to be a resource to the school community.
That’s the value of a School Resource Officer.
A School Resource Officer (commonly referred to as an “SRO”) is a career law enforcement officer with sworn authority that is deployed in a community-oriented policing role within a school environment. An SRO is more than your typical police officer. These are specially trained and equipped officers that actively work in partnership with teachers and administrators to ensure a safe and productive learning environment for our children.
A primary role of a School Resource Officer is to establish positive, trusting relationships with the young people in their school. The intent is to ensure that every student has an interaction with the officer, but that first interaction is not one that places the officer in an enforcement role. Instead, the idea is for the officer to be seen as a friend, confidant, and informal mentor.
First, by establishing open and trusting lines of communication with students, the officer is seen as an ally and friend to help young people through difficult life and school situations. Second, the officer is an educator on challenging issues that have the potential to bring a person in contact with law enforcement. Finally, should the safety of our children be compromised, the School Resource Officer is on hand to respond as a sworn law enforcement professional.
Research has demonstrated that School Resource Officers can play a critical role in keeping our kids safe and helping them to thrive. Unfortunately, there is no formal, county-wide School Resource Officer program in Door County.
The Door County Sheriff’s Department, the Crime Prevention Foundation, and all five of Door County’s school districts partnered together to launch a county-wide effort in the Fall of 2019.
While the ongoing operational expenses of the School Resource Officer program are entirely the responsibility of the Sheriff’s Department and the respective school districts, working in a school environment surrounded by young people is not the typical policing experience. Hence, to get the program off the ground, the community was invited to assist with several initial expenses that properly set up the offices as well as specially trained and equipped the officers. Thanks to the generosity of the community, there is now a School Resource Officer in every school district in Door County.