SRO's are required to have extensive training to prepare them for work in our schools.  In addition to their rigorous police academy work and ongoing professional development, they also undergo training in thirteen education-specific areas as well as complete a job shadow with an experienced officer as required by HB 1214.

School Safety Staff Required Training (HB 1214)

While SRO's can and should receive essential skills training through NASRO (the National Association of School Resource Officers) additional above-and-beyond training required by the state must be delivered by the Educational Service District (ESD) in which the officer serves.  In the ESD 105 region, this can be done in two forms:

• School Safety Staff State Summit (S5):  an in-person training every June presented by the School Safety Operations and Coordination Center (SSOCC).  For more info, click here.
• Canvas Course:  an online training providing self-study video lessons.  To register, click here.

SRO's outside of the ESD 105 region should contact their own Comprehensive School Safety Coordinator (CSSC) to find out about training opportunities.  The sponsoring school will know how to connect them with the ESD.  Alternatively, the Association of ESD (AESD) website also has contact information for each CSSC. 

OSPI School Safety Center Website

Another excellent resource for SRO's is the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) School Safety Center website.  The Safety Center hosts an information page for SRO's, which includes information on completing the required training. 

Additional Training Resources

National Association of School Resource Officers (NASRO)

Washington School Safety Organization (WSSO)

• An SRO, or School Resource Officer, is a police officer or sheriff's deputy assigned to work in a school.

  Legal Definition

  The formal definition of an SRO according to Washington legislation is as follows:

  A School Resource Officer (SRO) is a commissioned law enforcement officer in the state of Washington with sworn authority to make arrests, deployed in community-oriented policing, and assigned by the employing police department or sheriff's office to work in schools to address crime and disorder problems, gangs, and drug activities affecting or occurring in or around K-12 schools.  School resource officers should focus on keeping students out of the criminal justice system when possible and should not be used to attempt to impose criminal sanctions in matters that are more appropriately handled within the educational system.

  What SRO's REALLY Do

  In actual practice, SRO's perform a wide variety of vital services for schools, students and administrators that goes far beyond this simple definition, including (among others):

  • Mentoring
  • Teaching Safety Skills to Staff and Students
  • After School Programs
  • Positive Behavior Incentive Programs
  • Puppy Therapy
  • Sports Equipment Giveaways
  • Coaching
  • Working with students with disabilities
  • Career Fairs
  • Food Drives
  • Relationship Building
  • Informal Counseling
  • Safety Days
  • Protecting Against Outside Threats

  Dr. Bertie Simmons, a nationally recognized educator and long time high school principal, describes them as "a necessity on school campuses". 

  While not all Washington schools have an SRO, every school has the right to pursue one with their local law enforcement agencies.

  What SRO's DON'T Do

  • School Discipline
  • Address violations of School Policy

• There are countless benefits to a school for having a trained and dedicated SRO on site.  The following is just a sample, gathered from the success of our own Washington schools:

  • Relationships:  SRO's know the students and their problems and are more effective in working with them and their families.

  • Safety:  Serious incidents are less likely to occur with an SRO on site, and those that do are resolved sooner.

  • Stability:  The presence of a uniformed officer deters many incidents and creates a more stable learning environment.

  • Trust:  Students are more apt to confide in their SRO's and other law enforcement officers, preventing escalation.

  • Immediate Response:  No waiting for street or patrol units to respond (non-priority calls sometimes take hours for a response depending on workload).

  • Reduced Time and Effort:  SRO's work with school administration and teachers in resolving issues at the school level.

  • Alternatives to Arrest:  The benefits of knowing student and families helps the SRO make alternative choices when offenses are committed in the community.

  • Community Support:  Issues with families and students are often de-escalated at school, preventing them from spilling over into the community (or vice versa).

Overview

The following steps outline a simple, leading practice process for starting an SRO program at your school.

1. Familiarize yourself with the concept, purposes and practices of SRO's
2. Discuss with the school board
3. Adopt a school board policy/procedure 
4. Contact local law enforcement to discuss the possibility
5. Identify a funding source (school budget, grant, etc.)
6. Establish an MOA (Memorandum of Agreement) with the LE agency
   • Involve parents, students and community members
   • Include a data collection process
7. Identify candidates with LE agency
8. Conduct candidate interviews
9. Ensure that selected candidate has the required training

NASRO Best Practices Guide

An excellent first step in this process is to download and read the Best Practices Guide published by NASRO (National Association of School Resource Officers).  It expands many of the ideas and concepts on this Website and includes excellent guidance for every step.

Download NASRO SRO Best Practices Guide

Getting Started

Identify your nearest law enforcement agency with jurisdiction over the school.  Contact their office and ask for a meeting to discuss the possibility of establishing an SRO program.

Identify a funding source.  In most cases, the school will assume a significant portion of the SRO's salary, in partnership with the law enforcement agency.  Some schools are able to cover the cost out of their district budget, while others apply for grants.  District Business Managers, Special Programs or Grant Writes should be able to assist.

MOA (Memorandum of Agreement):  an MOA between the law enforcement agency and the school will help to clarify the arrangement and establish ground rules and a solid understanding of the SRO's roles, responsibilities and expectations.  Make sure your MOA has an accountability section that describes what steps will be taken if an SRO or school fails to fulfill their respective expectations.  It is also strongly recommended that MOA's specify that schools are to have equal (or even final) say in candidate selection.

Download MOA template

School Board Policy and Procedure

Washington State law requires a district to have a policy and procedure in place to help govern the SRO relationship.  A sample template has been developed by WSSDA and is suitable for customization and quick adoption.

Download model Policy

Download model Procedure

The Hiring Process - BE INVOLVED!

The best way to select an SRO is through a partnership between the school and law enforcement agency.  Both sides will bring a unique perspective.  Only by blending them will the right candidate be chosen.  Both sides must be thoroughly committed and involved and have equal say in the process.

Review the requirements, training and personal qualities required by an SRO (see "What to Look For" below) with the sponsoring law enforcement agency and ask them to identify some qualified candidates.  Schedule and conduct interviews with each candidate.  In addition to standard employment questions used by your district, include SRO-specific questions.  Guidelines for this interview process have been developed by school administrators with successful SRO programs and reviewed and approved by their law enforcement partners.

Download SRO Interview leading practice

What to Look For

Just like a school needs to hire the right teacher or custodian or para-educator, they also need to hire the right SRO.  While evaluating candidates, consider all of the duties and expectations listed above.  Also give careful consideration to the personal qualities and characteristics of each officer.  These traits will be extremely important to their success.

A list of ideal qualities and characteristics has been compiled from school administrators with successful SRO programs and national sources.

• Ability to establish positive relationships
• Ability to bridge the gap between law enforcement and education
• Adaptable
• Approachable
• Caring
• Collaborative
• Desire to ensure the success of each student
• Empathy
• Friendly
• Good listening skills
• Knowledgeable about school safety topics
• Open-minded
• Strong communication skills
• Supportive (of students, staff, and community)
• Understand the communities served by the school

If You Can't Find the Right Candidate

Keep looking.  Don't settle.  An officer without the proper tools and character can end up doing more harm than good, both to the school and the law enforcement agency.  It's better to have no SRO than the wrong SRO.

"In my 15 years of running large public comprehensive high schools, I have found the School Resource Officer model to be extremely successful."

"90% of the work that our SROs do is proactively building relationships, trust and increasing communication within the school to ensure a safe environment."

"Our schools would not be as safe as they are without our SROs."

"Having a police officer in building can ultimately have endless benefits."

"Our SRO goes out of his way to make positive relationships with our students."

"He also shared about overcoming obstacles in school, as a struggling reader in his youth, encouraging our students to not give up..."

"First and foremost, I see them as additional educators."

"I believe they are an invaluable asset to our buildings and community."