The case for a School Resource Officer

Violence in schools has seen a steady rise in the nation. Statistics available from the U.S. Department of Justice reveal some alarming numbers. In 2006, incidents of violence were reported in 96 percent of high schools, 94 percent of middle schools and 74 percent of elementary schools. And the number of public schools that have experienced one or more violent crimes rose to 81 percent in 2004 from 71 percent in 2000.

These stunning statistics have impelled school administrators to seek methods to provide a safer school environment. One such solution has been to utilize the skills of a trained police officer in the school setting, or what is commonly called a school resource officer. SROs are a tool employed by many schools to offer both a deterrent to crime, as well as a way to provide a sense of security and a method of outreach to the youth of the community. The comingling of these interventions provides for on-site security, prevention, and proactive measures.

Security and Prevention
To begin with, SROs are law enforcement officers. These individuals are authorized, therefore, to maintain law and order. Mark Benigni, Meriden mayor and also an assistant principal at Meriden High School, said, "The SRO is the only individual that can handle the law enforcement function. Someone will still have to address this if the SRO is gone."

Since SROs are stationed on campus, they can respond quickly to violent or volatile incidents. Having a trained individual with enforcement powers on the scene provides the safest way to deal with a tense situation. Those schools without SROs must depend on local patrol officers for protection. The response time of an off-campus officer cannot compare with the response time of an assigned SRO.

Kevin Quinn, the spokesman for the National Association of School Resource Officers, said, "The No. 1 benefit is the SRO is already on campus. Many problems are prevented."

Ronnie Puleo, one of the Amity High School nurses, said in 2006, "On a daily basis, we have disruptions in school, and you need the SRO."

Benigni cautioned against taking any chances, saying, "There are problems everywhere. Why not be prepared? Take a proactive stance."

The police presence on campus also serves as a deterrent to crime. Seeing a police car or an officer serves to put a chill on any criminal actions, much as the sight of a police car on the highway causes drivers to stay within the speed limit. According to William Lassiter of the Center for Prevention of School Violence, "Just having that police car out front does make a difference. It's a deterrent."

Puleo, referring to the former Amity SRO, said, "The second the SRO shows up in uniform, things change."

Eric Bacik, the school psychologist at Amity Junior High School in Orange, said, "The presence of a police officer helps set the tone for the building - for any institution."

In addition, the availability of an SRO affords students an avenue to alert authorities to potential violent or harmful situations. According to the 2004 survey of SROs by the NASRO, 94 percent of SROs reported that students informed them ahead of time about a potentially violent incident. In this same survey, 95 percent of SROs said that they had prevented between 1 and 25 violent acts.

John Battista, the principal at Monroe's high school, praised the work of his school's SRO. In fact, last year, the SRO was involved in an incident concerning a planned party at a student's house. When the school learned about the plans, they arranged to have the student's parents meet with the SRO to discuss the issue. The parents were grateful for the intervention.

Proactive interventions
Part of the function of an SRO is to participate in the education of the students. SROs are involved in teaching students and staff about security, emergency management and the law. SROs can help school systems plan and practice for emergencies. Some SROs have played an integral part in designing emergency preparedness plans for schools.

Mary Anne Mascolo, superintendent of Seymour Schools, said that Seymour High School, with a population of 970, has one full-time SRO. Mascolo said, "The SRO is important. I can't see how we could live without them now."

According to Mascolo, the benefits of an SRO came into play this past fall. The Seymour SRO regularly runs mock bus accidents to prepare students on how to manage such an emergency. Last fall, a school bus was involved in an actual accident, and the students responded with order and know-how. The students reported to Mascolo that they knew what to do, thanks to the drills run by the SRO.

An effective SRO program also provides a resource for the school community, especially the students. Students learn to be comfortable with the police and to appreciate their role in the community. SROs get to know the students and the issues in the school community.
Quinn said, "Being a positive role model for young people is a huge benefit. It makes kids comfortable with a police officer."

Robin Willink, Shelton Superintendent of Schools, said, "The SRO establishes a relationship with students, who use the SRO as a resource."

Gary Lindgren, a counselor at Amity High School, said, "The position is very valuable. It's not just about safety. The SRO works as a bridge in relating teenagers and police."

Mike DeVito, the former Amity SRO, said, "I talked to kids all day long. I know what they're doing and where they're heading."

Benigni said, "Having someone in the building that the students know makes a real difference."

The presence of an SRO on campus gives the school community a sense of security, as well. According to Jack McDevitt, associate dean of the College of Criminal Justice at North Eastern University, "The perception of the kids is 'I feel safer now'."

McDevitt added, "When you lose the SRO, it's the kids who are bothered most."

The Virginia Criminal Justice Department surveyed students and staff in the state regarding SROs. The majority felt that there was less crime and the school community felt safer.

JusticeWorks, a program at the University of New Hampshire, surveyed nine New Hampshire schools with SROs. Two-thirds of the students felt safer after an SRO, 86 percent of teachers felt the learning environment had improved.

The Center for the Prevention of School Violence maintains, "... learning is more likely to take place in such an environment."

The future of SROs
Many schools started an SRO program with a grant from the federal government. The money from that source is no longer available, so schools have had to scramble to find other ways to fund the program. Some schools were unable to continue supporting the SRO costs.

Amity High School was among those schools that chose to eliminate the SRO position. The decision was strictly financial, according to Amity officials. Bill Blake, chairman of the ABOE, said, "Faced with limited resources, we had to make a difficult decision. All of us recognize that the officer has been a positive influence on the school."

John Brady, superintendent of Amity, added, "It was a budgetary decision."

Although the high school officials are confident that the resources in place will provide adequate security, Brady expressed interest in having an SRO if funding could be obtained.

Those sentiments were echoed by Greg Florio, superintendent of Cheshire Schools. Cheshire reduced its SRO position to part time because of budget constraints. Florio, however, said, "I would like to see the position reinstated."

Benigni, who has done research on the effectiveness of SROs, encouraged maintaining an SRO, saying, "It's a small investment, and the rewards are so great."

Contact your town leaders and tell them how you feel on the issue. Be sure to include your name and telephone number in case they need to contact you.