Comparison of Program Activities and Lessons Learned among 19 School Resource Officer (SRO) Programs. Document Number 209272

There has been growing interest in placing sworn law enforcement officers in schools as School Resource Officers (SROs) to improve school safety and improve relations between police officers and youth. The purpose of this National Assessment was to identify what program "models" have been implemented, how programs have been implemented, and what lessons selected programs may have for other programs. To obtain this information, Abt Associates and its subcontractors collected implementation data from 19 School Resource Officer programs. This cross-site report discusses commonalities and differences among the 19 sites with a particular focus on lessons learned--information based on the experience of the sites that can benefit other jurisdictions in setting up or improving an SRO program. The report focuses on seven issues: (1) Choosing a Program Model; (2) Defining Specific SRO Roles and Responsibilities; (3) Recruiting SROs; (4) Training and Supervising SROs; (5) Collaborating with School Administrators and Teachers; (6) Working with Students and Parents; and (7) Evaluating SRO Programs.