The National Association of School Resource Officers (NASRO) issued a statement supporting last week’s school policing recommendations from the U.S. Departments of Education and Justice.
These recommendations include:
- Ensuring that law enforcement officers have no role in administering formal school discipline
- Requiring SROs to receive specialized training, including education in youth development
- Implementing written memoranda of understanding between educational institutions and law enforcement agencies
According to a statement from the organization, NASRO has long advocated for all of these recommendations.
“Like Education Secretary King, we believe that administering formal school discipline belongs solely in the hands of educators, and that educators should be well trained to address behavioral issues through a variety of interventions that do not involve law enforcement officer,” said NASRO Executive Director Mo Canady.
“NASRO not only supports the requirement of specialized education for SROs, our organization provides such training around the nation and internationally,” he added.
The association’s 40-hour Basic School Resource Officer course, for example, includes topics such as:
- The SRO as a Teacher/Guest Speaker
- Diversity
- Understanding Special Needs Students
- The SRO as an Informal Counselor/Mentor
- Understanding the Teen Brain
- Violence and Victimization: Challenges to Development
“We also believe that not every law enforcement officer is well-suited to a school-based assignment and that SROs should be carefully selected based on criteria designed to ensure their success,” the statement said.
NASRO believes that written memoranda of understanding are essential to successful implementation of any SRO program. Association officials say such documents should clearly define the roles of law enforcement officers who work in schools.
“We welcome any educational institution or law enforcement agency to contact us for information on school policing best practices and their implementation,” the statement said. “NASRO is eager to assist.”
For more information on NASRO, visit NASRO.org.
