School Resource Officer Policy

Code:
ECAD-AR
Section:
E
Type:
Policy
Status:
active
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Policy

Code: ECAD-AR

Amity School District 4J

Adopted: 06/06/01

School Resource Officer

The school resource officer (SRO) provides a visible presence in the district allowing students to develop a trust with law enforcement while linking district and community safety concerns and making district property inhospitable to criminals.

The duties of the SRO shall include, but not be limited to:

  1. The school district agrees to make the SRO part of the school’s staff in regards to providing appropriate in-service training, inclusion in general staff activities and the provision of facility office space for the officer to work from;
  2. The school will review and approve any curriculum to be presented to students, staff or parents by the officer;
  3. The school agrees to provide input to the police chief in establishing annual goals for the school resource officer position;
  4. The school district shall designate one person to serve as a primary point of contact for the SRO and Amity Police Department;
  5. The principal of each school shall help coordinate the work of the SRO and shall have authority to direct the activities of the SRO while the SRO is on school grounds and is engaged in activities that are not primarily related to law enforcement. The police chief or his designee shall supervise activities of the SRO while they are engaged in functions primarily related to law enforcement.

School Resource Officer’s Duties

The following list of duties is not intended to be all-inclusive, but to describe the principal activities in which the SRO may be involved. These activities will not be performed each day but as the need dictates.

  1. Protection of district property, students, staff and persons and property on or about district property or while attending district-sponsored activities;
  2. The prevention of theft or misappropriation of any item of value;
  3. The control of access to premises being protected;
  4. The maintenance of order and safety at public activities;
  5. Take appropriate corrective enforcement through investigation and/or arrest in the schools on behavior coming to the SRO’s attention that is criminal in nature. Make referrals to school administration for student actions that are disruptive to the school leaning environment;
  6. Investigating and documenting specific incidents;
  7. Assistance in identifying, intervening and communicating with at-risk students;
  8. Provision of crime prevention education;
  9. Promote a positive attitude of youth toward community, school and local government, including law enforcement agencies;
  10. Operate as a liaison between the community and district;
  11. Be physically available at appropriate times for personal interaction with youth at school including informal talking with students, staff or parents during breaks, lunch, and before and after school activities;
  12. Serve as a resource person for youth needing referrals to the appropriate government or private- sector service agency;
  13. Serve as an information resource for school district personnel on issues or criminal or behavioral trends involving youth;
  14. Participate and support youth organizations designed to promote responsible behavior (e.g., Oregon Student Safety on the Move, etc);
  15. Develop and provide programs which produce peer conflict mediation;
  16. Aid the school district with the enforcement of school district policies, provided such policies are directly applicable to the SRO program, as requested by school district authorities;
  17. Develop and teach classes, as requested by school administrators, relevant to youth and crime issues street law/traffic law which are germane to this community;
  18. Develop and teach classes, as requested by school administrators regarding rights and obligations of youth according to law, rights and responsibilities of citizenship, and the role of citizenship in society;
  19. Provide prevention education on vandalism, shoplifting, substance abuse, child and sexual abuse and issues of personal safety as requested by school authorities;
  20. Assist in the professional development of staff members in the recognition of students who may be abusing illegal substances;
  21. Develop a building site security plan for all school buildings in the district;
  22. Maintain records of calls for service provided to the school by the officer and the number of hours worked during the year relative to school issues; and
  23. Notify school administration prior to the extended questioning of students at the school, where the student is the focus of a criminal act or investigation and such notification would not jeopardize the investigation.

Additionally, knowledge of school law, district policies and regulations, first aid and CPR, self-defense tactics, bomb threats, hostage situations, hazardous materials, protection of a crime scene, interviewing witnesses and testifying in court are training expectations.

Law violations or activities identified by the building administrators or superintendent as severe disciplinary infractions will be referred to law enforcement, as appropriate.