Feb. 8, 2022 – Hoover, Ala. – The National Association of School Resource Officers (NASRO) declared Feb. 15 “National School Resource Officer Appreciation Day” and encourages schools and communities across the nation to recognize the accomplishments of their school resource officers (SROs) that day.
SROs are full-time law enforcement officers with sworn law enforcement authority, trained in school-based policing and crisis response and assigned by an employing law enforcement agency to work with schools using community-oriented policing concepts.
“Law Enforcement Appreciation Day has existed since 2015, but to our knowledge, no one has ever declared a date to specifically honor SROs nationwide,” said NASRO executive director Mo Canady. “As the only national organization of SROs in the U.S., with more than 4,500 member SROs, it’s appropriate for us to establish a day for that purpose.”
NASRO chose Feb. 15 for National School Resource Officer Appreciation Day because it falls during the traditional academic year and is the birthdate of Archie Hodge, the only NASRO founding member who remains active in the organization. Hodge, of Jackson, Mississippi retired from law enforcement in 2006 after serving as an SRO for 22 years.
In a national proclamation on NASRO’s website, the organization cites SROs for bridging gaps between youth and law enforcement and embracing a triad concept of school policing, serving in informal counseling, education and law enforcement roles to support the students and communities they serve. It also describes SROs as “valuable and essential members of the education community” who “deserve unwavering respect and support from the public in the pursuit of keeping schools and students safe.”
About NASRO
The National Association of School Resource Officers is a nonprofit organization for school-based law enforcement officers, school administrators and school security and safety professionals working as partners to protect students, school faculty and staff, and the schools where they learn and work. NASRO provides specific training for SROs at locations around the nation, hosts an annual National School Safety Conference and advocates for best practices to help SRO programs accomplish their goals while avoiding unintended consequences. NASRO is headquartered in Hoover, Alabama, and was established in 1991. For more information, visit www.nasro.org.
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