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WHY
DO SCHOOLS HAVE A RESOURCE OFFICER?
The
concept of having a School Resource Officer (SRO) has
been around since the 1950's. The idea is to place
a law enforcement officer in a school for three reasons.
First, the officer is there to provide a law enforcement
presence. By being visible to prevent problems and
to be available to handle police related functions, such
as crime investigation, the officer provides a safe
learning environment. The second part of the
SRO's job is to be a teacher. By working with
classroom teachers and other faculty members the SRO can
present information and answer questions on a variety of
topics including the law, drugs, safety, crime
prevention, violence prevention and community awareness
of these issues. The third part of the triangle is
counseling. Police officers can offer advice,
mediation and direction to students, parents and faculty
in various matters . As part of this counseling
they can also offer direction to other resources in the
community.
School Resource Officers have become a valuable part of
the school staff and an important link between students,
the police and the community. They build a bond
between young people and law enforcement that provides
understanding from both sides. Students who feel
safe become better learners and better citizens.
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