May 20, 2021 — HOOVER, Ala. — The National Association of School Resource Officers (NASRO) and the Indiana School Resource Officers Association (INSROA) jointly issued the following public statement:
We firmly oppose last night’s decision by the Monroe County (Indiana) Community School Corporation (MCCS) to prohibit school resource officers (SROs) from carrying their agency-issued firearms while working within the school district.
SRO programs that adhere to NASRO’s published best practices and use only carefully selected, specifically trained and properly equipped SROs mitigate violence on school campuses. The success of any SRO program requires that officers be fully equipped to protect and serve and therefore requires them to always be armed while on duty, like any other law enforcement officer. The MCCS board’s decision greatly impedes an officer’s ability to protect students and staff from physical threats on campus. Disarming SROs makes schools soft targets for acts of lethal violence and endangers officers who are often the first targets of school violence. This barrier could result in injury to or death of the most vulnerable members of the community – children.
SROs are sworn law enforcement officers by federal and state definitions. Their roles include mentoring, guest speaking and law enforcement. Hindering their ability to fulfill the law enforcement role is detrimental to the program and contrary to the position’s definition. Positive relationships between law enforcement officers and youth are important and any stigma around the profession of law enforcement must be changed. Carefully selected, specifically trained SROs are critical to bridging gaps between youth and law enforcement and helping youth see fully equipped police officers as protectors who help make them safer.
About NASRO
NASRO is a nonprofit organization for school-based law enforcement officers, school administrators and school security/safety professionals working as partners to protect students, school faculty and staff, and the schools they attend. NASRO’s national offices are in Hoover, Alabama. The organization was established in 1991. For more information, visit www.nasro.org.
About INSROA
The Indiana School Resource Officers Association (INSROA) is dedicated to providing the highest quality of training to school-based law enforcement officers, school administrators and educators, security personnel, and juvenile authorities to promote safer schools and safer kids. To learn more, visit www.insroa.org.
Media Contact:
Jay Farlow
Jani Spede Public Relations
[email protected]
(866) 923-9980 ext. 2
This message sent on behalf of the National Association of School Resource officers, 2020 Valleydale Road, Suite 207A, Hoover, AL 35244, 205-739-6060.