How to Advocate for Your School Resource Officers

Across the United States, many school districts are wrestling with the idea of the role of school resource officers in schools. 

At NASRO, we strongly advocate for carefully selected, specifically trained, and properly equipped school resource officers. We believe they are an essential part of school safety.

Amid the movement for social justice, school resource officers have become a soft target for anti-law enforcement sentiment. However, this issue is often over-simplified and over-politicized because we all have the same goal – to create a safe learning environment for ALL students. 

Data and Research

There is ample data and research pointing to the efficacy of carefully selected, specifically trained, properly equipped school resource officers. You can find our full series on Reality Over Rhetoric when it comes to school resource officers here. 

• SROs do not contribute to the school-to-prison pipeline. "Juvenile arrests across the US have dropped by 74% since 1996, which parallels the growth of SRO programs across the country. SROs can dramatically reduce crime on campus and beyond." To Protect & Educate, NASRO 2012
• Data shows that having SROs do not lead to an increased chance of students being arrested. "In sum, our data does not support the notion that law enforcement presence automatically means an increased chance of a student being referred to the justice system. SROs overwhelmingly prefer to take actions that do not have potential long-term impacts on a student." Measuring the Strategic Fit of the School Resource Officer with Law Enforcement (Leaders), the Education System, the Community, and Other Interested Parties, Frank J. Mielke Audubon Management Consultants Dr. Jeremy Phillips West Chester University Dr. Beth Sanborn Lower Gwynedd Township Police, March 2021
• SROs seek to avoid the justice system as their preferred option. Measuring the Strategic Fit of the School Resource Officer with Law Enforcement (Leaders), the Education System, the Community, and Other Interested Parties, Frank J. Mielke Audubon Management Consultants Dr. Jeremy Phillips West Chester University Dr. Beth Sanborn Lower Gwynedd Township Police, March 2021
• SROs see themselves as more than just a police officer. "While the SRO might view themselves as law enforcement, they clearly view their role in the school system as something more. When an SRO views their role as something more, such as taking on a mentor/informal counselor role, this will, in turn, influence how the officer responds to incidents in a positive way." Measuring the Strategic Fit of the School Resource Officer with Law Enforcement (Leaders), the Education System, the Community, and Other Interested Parties, Frank J. Mielke Audubon Management Consultants Dr. Jeremy Phillips West Chester University Dr. Beth Sanborn Lower Gwynedd Township Police, March 2021
• SROs bridge the gap between youth and law enforcement. "SROs maintain 'open-door' policies towards students, engage in informal counseling sessions, and refer students to social services, legal aid, community services, and public health agencies as part of their role as an informal counselor and mentor. Students come to understand that someone cares and will listen, and SROs come to understand where students' concerns lie and what might be threatening their safety." To Protect & Educate, NASRO 2012
• SROs prevent violence in schools. "In an analysis of 67 averted school attack plots, nearly 1/3 of the cases featured SROs playing a role in either reporting the attack or responding to a report made by someone else, highlighting their role as a trusted adult within the school community. SROs play an important role in school violence prevention." Averting Targeted School Violence, US Secret Service, 2021
• SROs serve as trusted adults within the school community. "Children's services experts all agree that the presence of responsible, caring adults in a child's life is critical to their ability to avoid destructive behaviors, make good choices, and survive the challenges that family, socio-economic, racial, and other circumstances can present. An SRO is one of these adults and they help students navigate challenging situations on and off campus." To Protect & Educate, 2012

How to Advocate

• Reach out to your local school board and police department to voice your concerns. School board member phone numbers and emails are usually listed on the school district's website. You can also attend board meetings to voice your concerns, although you should always do so respectfully and peaceably. 

           You can download our advocacy flyer here. 

• Let NASRO help. NASRO takes great pride in being the first and most recognized organization for law enforcement officers assigned to our school communities. NASRO is available to assist communities and school districts around the world that desire safer schools in developing the most effective programs for their communities. You can let NASRO know about potential issues surrounding the placement of school resource officers in your school district by clicking here.  
• Identify the key issues. SRO programs across the globe are founded as collaborative efforts by police agencies, law enforcement officers, educators, students, parents, and communities. The goal of NASRO and SRO programs is to provide safe learning environments, provide valuable resources to school staff members, foster a positive relationship with students, and develop strategies to resolve problems that affect our youth with the goal of protecting all children, so they can reach their fullest potential. Is your school district following NASRO's Best Practices? Are the SROs carefully selected and specifically trained? Is there a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to assist with developing program goals, roles and responsibilities, and the method for evaluating the program’s success in meeting identified goals in place?
• Advocate for careful selection and specific training. There are many elements of an SRO program that can be evaluated and improved. NASRO offers Basic SRO Training, Advanced SRO Training, Adolescent Mental Health Training, School Crime Prevention Through Environment Design Training, SRO Supervisors and Management Training, and more to help school resource officers continuously improve. 
• Get personal. Make sure your board members are aware of how you and your student are personally impacted by the presence of a school resource officer on campus. Whether it is an increased feeling of safety or a special relationship between your child and their SRO, make sure your representatives know why school resource officers are important.
• Ask for a "both" approach instead of an "and/or" approach. Students having access to mental health professionals is of critical importance, now more than ever. This is why we frequently partner with associations like the National Association of School Psychologists and Safe and Sound Schools to publish best practices around topics such as exposing students to highly sensorial active shooter drills. Mentally healthy students contribute to school safety. However, this cannot be at the expense of school resource officers. Both mental health professionals AND school resource officers have a vital role to play in keeping schools safe. 
• Remain non-partisan. Unfortunately, law enforcement and the topic of school resource officers have been hijacked as partisan talking points. All students have the right to attend school in a safe environment. School safety should be important to everyone, regardless of their political beliefs, and should not be used as a vehicle to promote partisan talking points.