SRO Appreciation Day

Sgt. Rudolph Pratt Jr.

Tell us a little about your role as an SRO. For the past 2 years, I have been the school resource officer at the Preston H. Albury High School, Rock Sound, Eleuthera Bahamas, where I am responsible for ensuring the safety of some 300 plus students and staff.

As an SRO for the school and the Southern District of Eleuthera, I have been tasked with implementing proactive positive initiatives as mandated by our Commissioner of Police Clayton Fernander to empower and mentor young persons as a means to steer them away from idle mischief and deviant behavior. Through the mechanism of music and the arts, young persons who are deemed problematic and at-risk are targeted in hopes that their mindset can be immersed into being productive.

What was your inspiration behind becoming a school resource officer? I was inspired to be a SRO by the passion that I have for working with young people, along with wanting to continue contributing to the safety and well-being of the students while in school. It's also a way to foster positive relationships between law enforcement and the community and to create a secure learning environment.

What’s the most important part of your job? The most important part of my job is ensuring the safety of students and staff, building positive relationships with the school community, bringing awareness of current matters to the students (e.g. negative effects of substance abuse, etc.) to assist and provide information, and to address any issues that may arise within the school.

Why are school resource officers important? We as SROs play a very important and crucial role in school safety by being a visible uniformed presence which can be a deterrent to any planned threats. We are also that bridge that closes the gap between the community and law enforcement resulting in the restoration of the community’s trust in law enforcement.

Moreover, it may be debated about (having) SROs in the school system, (but) it is a great proactive crime prevention initiative for students. There are officers who genuinely provide mentorship and empowerment to young persons as a continued means of immersing their minds to be successful productive citizens of society. If we target the root (young people) and mentor them, it’s a possibility that we should have safer communities.

"As a resource officer, I would want others to understand that the nature of this role is multifaceted, not only involving law enforcement, but also mentorship and empowerment, community engagement, and fostering a positive environment at the school. If everyone would understand this concept, we can alleviate many social ills."