SCHOOL
RESOURCE OFFICERS HAVE
MANY DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
SRO’S
ARE SWORN OFFICERS
ASSIGNED TO A SCHOOL ON A LONGTERM BASIS
SRO’S
MUST BE TRAINED TO PERFORM
THREE MAJOR ROLES:
LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER
LAW-RELATED COUNSELOR
LAW-RELATED EDUCATOR
STATISTICS
CONVEY SCHOOL
CRIME AND VIOLENCE ARE NOT
NECESSARILY OCCURRING IN
GREATER NUMBERS
EVIDENCE
SUGGESTS THE TYPES
OF INCIDENTS TAKING PLACE ON
SCHOOL PROPERTY MAY BE MORE
SEVERE IN NATURE
THESE
INCIDENTS HAVE SHOWN A
NEGATIVE IMPACT ON THE
EDUCATION PROCESS FOR WHICH
SCHOOLS ARE RESPONSIBLE
MORE
ATTENTION IS BEING PAID
TO THE SAFETY OF YOUNG PEOPLE
WHILE THEY ARE AT SCHOOL
SCHOOL
RESOURCE OFFICERS ARE
INCREASINGLY DEPLOYED IN OUR SCHOOLS
THROUGHOUT THE UNITED STATES
THERE
IS NO ONE STANDARD DEFINITION
OF WHAT A SRO’S RESPONSIBILITIES ENTAIL
NASRO
MISSION:
“SRO’S PROVIDE A VISIBLE AND POSITIVE
IMAGE FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT WITHIN THE
SCHOOL ENVIRONMENT”
“SRO’S SERVE AS A CONFIDENTIAL SOURCE
OF COUNSELING TO STUDENTS CONCERNING
PROBLEMS THEY FACE”
“SRO’S BRING EXPERTISE INTO
SCHOOLS THAT WILL HELP
YOUNG PEOPLE MAKE MORE
POSITIVE CHOICES IN THEIR
LIVES”
“SRO’S WORK TO PROTECT THE
SCHOOL ENVIRONMENT AND TO
MAINTAIN AN ATMOSPHERE
WHERE TEACHERS FEEL SAFE TO
TEACH AND STUDENTS FEEL
SAFE ENOUGH TO LEARN”




THERE ARE MORE SRO’S ASSIGNED TO
HIGH SCHOOLS THAN TO MIDDLE OR
ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS
A SLIGHT MAJORITY OF SRO’S ARE
ASSIGNED TO PROVIDE COVERAGE TO
ONLY ONE SCHOOL WHICH IS
CONSIDERED BY THE OFFICER TO BE HIS
OR HER BEAT
THE MAJORITY OF SRO’S ARE NOT
ROOKIE POLICE OFFICERS BUT INSTEAD
HAVE PUT IN STREET TIME
OFFICERS HAVE HAD EXPERIENCE WITH
YOUNG PEOPLE IN ENVIRONMENTS
OUTSIDE THE SCHOOLS

50%

30%

20%


OF SRO’S TIME IS DEVOTED TO
LAW ENFORCEMENT DUTIES
OF SRO’S TIME IS SPENT ON LAWRELATED COUNSELING/ADVISING
OF SRO’S TIME IS DEDICATED TO
LAW-RELATED TEACHING
SRO’S WHO WORK IN HIGH SCHOOLS,
SPEND THE MAJORITY OF THEIR TIME
CARRYING OUT THE LAW
ENFORCEMENT ROLE
SRO’S WHO WORK IN THE MIDDLE AND
ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS ARE ABLE TO
COMMIT MORE TIME TO THE LAWRELATED EDUCATION ROLE



SRO’S TRAINING MUST BE
STRUCTURED TO PREPARE THEM FOR
THE SCHOOL ENVIRONMENT WHICH
IS MUCH DIFFERENT FROM THE
STREET
SRO’S TRAINING MUST PAY
PARTICULAR ATTENTION TO LAWRELATED COUNSELOR/ADVISER AND
LAW-RELATED EDUCATOR ROLES
SRO’S TRAINING MUST PREPARE THE
OFFICER TO TEACH OR CONVEY THE
LAW ENFORCEMENT KNOWLEDGE
THEY BRING INTO THE SCHOOLS




BE DIVERSE, REMAIN PROACTIVE
AND HIGH-PROFILE
UNDERSTAND AND HAVE EMPATHY
FOR THE STUDENTS AND PARENTS
THEY ARE DEALING WITH
WORK HAND IN HAND WITH
PRINCIPALS, TEACHERS, AND A
DIVERSE STAFF
HAVE AN OPEN COMMUNICATION
WITH THEIR ENTIRE POLICE
DEPARTMENT AND SURROUNDING
DEPARTMENTS





ACT QUICKLY TO SOLVE THE MANY
PROBLEMS IN AND OUTSIDE OF
THE SCHOOL
CONTINUALLY EVALUATE AND
REFINE SCHOOL SECURITY
MEASURES
HAVE A CRISIS TEAM AND
PRACTICE WITH THE TEAM
SEVERAL TIMES A YEAR
TRAIN…TRAIN…TRAIN !!!
BE THE FIRST CONTACT WITH ANY
ACTIVE SHOOTER(S)

SHOW THIS POWER POINT

BUDGET…BUDGET…BUDGET !!!

GRANTS FROM FEDERAL OR
STATE AGENCIES
OFFICER VAN A. SCOTT SR
(ASSIGNED TO LIBERTY HIGH SCHOOL/
BETHLEHEM AREA SCHOOL DISTRICT)
CITY OF BETHLEHEM POLICE DEPT.
10 EAST CHURCH ST.
BETHLEHEM PA 18018
OFFICERSCOTT@BETH.K12.PA.US
VSCOTT@BETHLEHEM-PA.GOV