A growing trend today among both K-12 and higher education is to have School Resource Officers (SROs) on campus to monitor and ensure school safety. These are sworn law-enforcement officers tasked with handling threats, helping with discipline, and are also a valuable resource for students and staff. In fact, their presence creates a safer and more supportive environment because people feel more protected having an armed officer patrolling their campus every day.
Key Insights:
- SROs are sworn law enforcement personnel assigned to a particular campus where they focus on student safety and well-being.
- SROs are in both K-12 and higher education institutions, where they play a vital role in keeping everyone safe and creating positive student interactions.
- Effective SRO programs require clear objectives that define roles and responsibilities, continuous training, and community collaboration to maximize impact.
- Despite the benefits SROs bring, some believe that they also contribute to the school-to-prison pipeline, and that balanced approaches are needed that prioritize support over punishment.
School Safety is a National Priority
School safety is top of mind for school administrators, local law enforcement, and the community. Having an SRO is a key strategy that can be deployed to ensure this need for optimal safety is achieved. These officers are trained law enforcement professionals whose job is not only to keep their campuses safe, but also to provide valuable safety training and mentoring to students, teachers, and staff. They are trained to prevent and respond to school crime and to work with law enforcement and the community.
SROs work directly with school administrators to develop and implement policies and procedures for safety and to prevent and respond to incidents. This collaboration is key for ensuring goals and objectives are aligned district-wide. As part of their job, they conduct safety assessments, provide training on crime prevention and emergency response, and build relationships with students and staff to create a positive school environment. By bringing the skills and authority of a law enforcement officer into the school setting, SROs play a crucial role in keeping students safe and fostering a positive school environment.
What is a School Resource Officer?
An SRO is a certified police officer assigned to a school, with the authority to make on-site arrests. Their job is to reduce violence, influence discipline such as suspensions and expulsions, and support staff and students with training and onsite mentoring. By bringing the skills and authority of a police officer into an academic setting, SROs can provide a valuable bridge between law enforcement and school safety.
The concept of SROs began with a single officer in 1953, and today, they are present in schools across America. Their presence is growing as schools recognize the importance of having them for school security. According to data from the 2017-18 school year, about half of all schools had an SRO visit weekly or had one stationed on-site. They are often armed and equipped with handcuffs and other tools to handle various situations, and they have the power to arrest just like a traditional police officer. Their presence has been proven to be a successful deterrent to crime in schools and helps with student welfare.
Key Roles of School Resource Officers
SROs serve many roles within a school, ranging from law enforcement and policing to mentoring and informal teaching. While their primary goal is to patrol the school for threats and ensure safety, they also conduct numerous educational activities that help create a more nurturing environment for students.
SROs take an active role in helping to guide young people through both personal and academic challenges, and also spearhead educational activities that address youth-related issues. For example, SROs will often teach classes on crime prevention, safety, and conflict resolution to kids. This formal teaching approach helps students understand the consequences of their actions and emphasizes the importance of following school rules. By setting clear behavioral expectations and fostering a sense of accountability, SROs can help these students make informed choices in life and encourage them to participate in community events.
It is essential for SROs to collaborate effectively with teaching staff to create a supportive learning environment. This teamwork allows for issues to be addressed as they arise and builds trust among students towards law enforcement personnel. Seeing success in some great SRO programs proves how important this role is for the well-being of students and the ongoing safety of school communities.
Training Requirements for School Resource Officers
SROs are required to complete training that equips them with the necessary skills for their work in a school. Thus, they not only need to be trained in law enforcement but must also be proficient in additional skills needed for academic duties, such as conflict resolution, understanding legal issues related to students, and understanding student behavior. Most SROs need to complete at least 40 hours of school policing related training, and this involves engaging with youth, understanding how students think and learn, and applying techniques that use prevention planning to reduce violence.
To be an SRO, officers are required to have at least three years of law enforcement experience. This ensures that officers entering this specialty come with hands-on experience. For each SRO, developing skills through training is an important step and is ongoing every year. By taking part in this additional training, SROs can ensure they always possess the latest skills regarding de-escalation and positive relationships with students.
School Safety and Crime Prevention
School safety and crime prevention is an SRO’s top priority. They document incidents as part of their job to ensure there are accurate records of any past security issues. They also help with overall safety plans and work closely with school administrators and local law enforcement to identify potential safety risks and develop strategies to prevent crimes from happening. This includes safety assessments, crime prevention, emergency response training, and building relationships with students and staff to create a safe and supportive school environment.
SROs also play a critical role in preventing and responding to school shootings. According to the National Association of School Resource Officers (NASRO), SROs are trained to respond quickly and effectively in the event of a school shooting and can help prevent incidents from happening in the first place by identifying and addressing potential threats.
In addition to crime prevention and helping thwart gun violence, SROs also provide educational programs and activities to help students make proactive choices to not get involved in crime in the first place. This includes programs such as Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE), which teaches students about the dangers of drug use and how to resist peer pressure.
National Association Guidance
The National Association of School Resource Officers (NASRO) has guidelines and training for SROs. For example, the NASRO recommends SROs be sworn law enforcement officers with at least 40 hours of school policing training. This training needs to cover school safety, crisis management, and community policing so that SROs are prepared for the unique challenges of working in a school.
The NASRO also recommends that people entering the SRO role should have a desire to work with youth and can develop positive relationships with students, teachers and staff. Building those relationships is key to SRO programs because it creates a supportive and trusting school community. By having positive interactions and being role models, SROs can make their school a safer and more nurturing place.
How Many SROs are needed?
The number of SROs needed at a school depends on the size of the district, number of students and crime rate in the area. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, 42% of public schools in the United States have at least one School Resource Officer (SRO), but the ideal ratio of SROs to students remains a topic of debate.
Some say one SRO for every 1,000 students is the magic number to prevent and respond to school crime. Others say more SROs are needed to address safety concerns and provide support to students and staff. Ultimately, the right number of SROs for any school district will depend on a school’s specific needs and circumstances.
The Difference Between School Resource Officers and Police Officers
SROs differ from other police officers in that they are specifically trained to work in a school setting. While police officers are primarily responsible for enforcing laws and maintaining order in the community, SROs have a more nuanced role that includes education, mentoring and community-building within a school environment.
A good SRO develops positive relationships with students, teachers and staff because this is key for helping to prevent crime and improving school safety. They engage in educational activities, provide guidance on personal safety and offer support to students facing various challenges. By being mentors and role models, SROs contribute to a positive school environment and help students make informed and responsible decisions.
In addition to their law enforcement duties, SROs work closely with school administrators to develop and implement safety policies and procedures. This collaborative approach ensures schools have comprehensive safety plans in place and all members of the school community are aligned and prepared to respond to emergencies. Through their unique training and responsibilities, SROs can create a safer and more supportive learning environment for students.
The Cost of Employing a School Resource Officer
Hiring an SRO can be a big expense, with a salary ranging from $75,000 to $120,000 per year, which includes benefits and professional development. The base salary for an SRO typically ranges from $50,000 to $80,000 per year. Benefits packages then add an additional 25-40% to the original salary, which represents an extra $ 3,750 to $ 8,000 per year.
School boards often struggle to budget for SRO programs and frequently seek shared expense agreements or federal funding to support this position.
There are also expenses involved with SROs, such as getting or leasing vehicles for the officers to use. These can cost $30,000 to $45,000. Schools also need to allocate $3000-$5000 per year for SRO training. With these expenses mounting, schools often require shared expense agreements or federal funding.
One way to reduce costs is by sharing expenses with local law enforcement agencies, which can save up to 40-60% of the cost of an SRO. Additionally, federal grants through entities such as the Community-Oriented Policing Services (COPS) have provisions that will subsidize up to 75% of employment costs over a three-year period. These are viable options for schools to have the police presence they need while protecting their students without incurring the full financial burden of having one on staff.
Impact of SROs on Juvenile Crime
SROs have been linked to a decrease in youth crime on school grounds. They play a significant role in reducing severe incidents such as rape, robbery and assaults. Data from multiple initiatives shows a meaningful drop in those incidents in schools with SROs, which is a viable indicator showing how much they can help prevent crime in schools.
To reduce violence, SROs help identify disruptive behavior in students such as drug use or carrying weapons. Depending on the school, the presence of an SRO can result in an increase in minor infractions and more serious offenses being escalated into legal issues by these officers. This can lead to more juvenile arrests for minor offenses and interactions with the criminal justice system. This is why it’s important to take a balanced approach when using SROs and ensure they are focused on proactive measures and not only reactive penalties.
The effectiveness of SROs is debatable. Some research says they can reduce specific violent activities in schools. However, their presence may also inadvertently criminalize student behavior, especially among minority populations. That is why it’s important to define how SROs are to be used so that they can maintain a conducive learning environment while also handling offending behaviors.
Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) for SRO Programs
Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) are key to defining the specific duties and responsibilities of SROs. These are agreements between the school and the local law enforcement agency that outline the SRO’s purpose, tasks, training, and hierarchy to ensure compliance with the law. This clarity enables SROs to operate effectively within the school environment while maintaining a bridge and working relationship with local law enforcement.
MOUs usually include officer selection criteria, training requirements for officers in their daily roles and how to update or renew these agreements. These provisions set clear expectations and establish an operational framework for the SRO program. To ensure this program remains effective over time, annual reviews and regular assessments must be done. Through these evaluations, changes can be made to the MOUs to ensure they remain relevant and effective for each school. This ongoing process is crucial to maintaining a high standard of safety and proper support systems for students.
Addressing Concerns About the School-to-Prison Pipeline
There is concern that SROs in schools can inadvertently create a path from school to prison, especially for minority students. Some argue that SROs contribute to the school-to-prison pipeline through systemic racial disparities in student arrests and discipline, particularly for black students. This concern comes from evidence of increased discipline due to SRO involvement, where minor infractions are turned into more serious juvenile justice cases.
MOUs need to outline clear boundaries around SRO interactions with the student body so they can be providers of safety and not enforcers of punishment. Initiatives such as Mental Health First Aid can help train officers to recognize and address mental health concerns in the student population so they can respond with support as opposed to punishment.
Those critical of SROs cite normal teenage behavior that often gets misclassified and punished too often —potentially increasing arrest rates of students. It is important for an SRO to balance mitigating these issues, while also keeping the campus safe. It is clear that having police in schools helps to protect students, but we also need to make sure it does not result in more students entering the correctional system through overly strict school discipline.
Strategies to Optimize SRO Program Costs
Schools need to fine-tune their SRO spending to balance safety and budget. Public schools are already budget-constrained and when it comes to SRO programs, they are looking for cost-effective solutions. One way of achieving this is by having a tiered coverage system that caters to each school's different security needs. For example, institutions can have full-time coverage in high-risk areas and part-time or rotational coverage in low-risk areas.
Using modern technology, such as AI-powered surveillance systems, can also amplify an SRO’s ability to monitor multiple areas at the same time without having to be physically present in each one. This technology expands the reach of SROs and helps in cost-effective program management. A good example is Omnilert's AI Gun Detection, which uses AI to visually detect a weapon the instant it is brandished. This technology has become a key layer of security in an organization’s overall safety infrastructure. The system can be integrated into any existing security camera, and once a threat is verified, it can instantly activate a response that includes dispatching police, locking doors, sounding alarms, and automating other responses to notify those in harm’s way and save lives. It doesn’t matter if a school has 10 cameras or 1,000 because it can monitor them all simultaneously, while never getting distracted or tired like a human monitor would. This capability has become a game changer for SROs because it is impossible for one person to simultaneously monitor multiple cameras in multiple locations.
Supplementing SRO programs with volunteer support networks is also a cost-effective solution. Once trained, these volunteers can help in maintaining vigilance and communication regarding potential issues, thus bolstering safety without adding much to the expenses. Through these collaborative approaches, schools can not only sustain, but also improve their existing SRO programs within their budget.
National and State-Level Support for SRO Programs
National and state support is vital to SRO program success. Organizations such as the National Association of School Resource Officers (NASRO) and the National Sheriffs’ Association provide the training and resources to enhance school safety. They are the platform for sharing best practices and professional development in this specialized field.
Studies in the Justice Quarterly look at police in schools and the impact on school crime and contribute to the larger conversation on school safety and discipline. Justice data is key to SRO programs and policies because it gives valuable insight into the impact of SROs on school safety and crime rates.
On the local level, organizations such as the Texas School Safety Center (TSSC) provide research-based support and training specific to regional needs to improve security protocols.
The partnerships between national associations and state entities are what make SRO programs work. By training school officers, these partnerships work together to set standards across schools to improve how law enforcement contributes to safe schools.
Partnerships between SROs and School Administrators
SROs and school administrators must work together for student safety and well-being. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, SROs are more effective in preventing crime and improving school safety when they partner with school administrators. This includes working together to identify potential safety risks, developing strategies to address those risks and providing training and support to school staff.
SROs also work with school administrators to develop and implement programs for student safety and well-being. This may include counseling and mentoring to help students overcome challenges and achieve their goals.
In addition to working with school administrators, SROs also work with other law enforcement agencies and community organizations that support students and families. This includes providing information and referrals to community resources, counseling and support services, and working with other agencies to provide support and resources to students and families in need.
By working together, SROs and school administrators can also be more successful at developing and implementing effective safety policies and procedures, providing training and support to school staff, and supporting student safety and well-being.
Case Studies of Successful SRO Programs
Research shows SROs are crucial for keeping students and schools safe. In fact, schools with a strong SRO program have lower juvenile delinquency rates than those without one.
SRO programs are often funded by national and state grants. Training materials and sharing of best practices from other law enforcement agencies help ensure that SROs have the knowledge and resources they need to do their job successfully.
Building partnerships between SROs, school administrators, and the local community is key to having a successful program. These partnerships allow the development of strategies that can enhance school security while building positive relationships with students to create a safe learning environment.
School Resource Officers are Key!
While there is some debate on the positive impact of SROs, it is clear that they have become a key promoter of school safety and offer a positive school learning environment for students. As law enforcement officers, mentors, and educators, School Resource Officers (SROs) can help students understand the legal system and ensure a safer, more supportive environment. However, SRO programs only work if they have the proper training, clear MOUs, and cost optimization.
While concerns about the school-to-prison pipeline and the cost of SROs are valid, addressing those through collaboration and continuous evaluation can work. While national and state organizations help with SRO standards and effectiveness, it really comes down to having well-trained and committed SROs that make the difference in having a safe and positive school.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average annual salary range for a school resource officer?
Average salaries for school resource officers range between $50,000 and $80,000 a year. Location and experience are just two of the factors that can drive that range.
What are the total costs for benefits for a school resource officer?
Benefits for a school resource officer can cost anywhere from $15,000 to $32,000 annually. That total benefit cost is a crucial part of budget planning in schools.
What are the total annual investment costs for a school resource officer?
When you factor in salaries, benefits and other expenses, the total annual investment for a school resource officer can be anywhere from $75,000 to $120,000.
What percentage do benefits typically add to the base salary of a school resource officer?
Benefits typically add 25-40% to a school resource officer's base salary. That shows just how important total compensation is when you're evaluating these positions.
What is the estimated annual cost for training a school resource officer?
Training a school resource officer can cost anywhere from $3,000 to $5,000 a year. That budget is essential for making sure those officers are well-equipped to serve effectively in the school environment—and to keep students safe.