 SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICERS HAVE MANY DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES  SRO’S ARE SWORN OFFICERS ASSIGNED TO A SCHOOL ON A LONG- TERM 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% OF SRO’S TIME IS DEVOTED TO LAW ENFORCEMENT DUTIES  30% OF SRO’S TIME IS SPENT ON LAW- RELATED COUNSELING/ADVISING  20% 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 LAW- RELATED 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 LAW- RELATED 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