School Resource Officer

The SRO assists with maintaining a safe school environment and acting as a community liaison between the school, the community, and local law enforcement to build respect and understanding between all parties. By providing law-related education to students and staff utilizing formal courses of instruction and informal information-sharing sessions in subjects relating to crime prevention, substance abuse awareness, and gang resistance. Helping to address and prevent crime and disorder problems, and drug activities affecting or occurring in or around the school by working with students, staff, community-based organizations, and the local community.

Be visible within the school community. Attend and participate in school functions. Build working relationships with the school's staff as well as with student and parent groups. Develop and implement classes in law-related education to support the educational efforts of the faculty. Work closely with teachers in designing and presenting law-related topics and the role of police in our society.

Conducts routine patrols of assigned facilities to include buildings, parking lots and District owned, leased, or rented equipment; Operates system equipment to include alarm systems, surveillance equipment, and patrol units when necessary. Coordinates security for crowd and vehicle control at extra-curricular activities and special events.

Work with guidance counselors and other student support staff to assist students and to provide services to students involved in situations where referrals to service agencies are necessary. Assist in conflict resolution efforts. Initiate interaction with students in the classroom and general areas of the school building. Promote the profession of police officer and be a positive role model. Increase the visibility and accessibility of police to the school community.

Assists other law enforcement agencies with incidents involving local criminal activity that may impact student or site safety. All other duties, as assigned and required, in order to perform the above services.

1. Take command at scene of crime or accident; takes statements and interviews victims and witnesses; examines situation; records vital information regarding causes and circumstances;
2. Completes police report to describe in a clear, accurate, and concise manner all primary and relevant case activity and developments; read and comprehend legal and non-legal documents, including the preparation and processing of such documents as citations, affidavits, and warrants;
3. Establish traffic surveillance to observe and detect violations of the Model Traffic Code and State Traffic Statutes; complete traffic accident investigations and required accident investigation forms;
4. Ensures that all required reports are completed in a timely manner;
5. Respond to radio and telephone dispatches to investigate citizen concerns including crimes in progress, crimes reported after-the-fact, accidents and disturbances;
6. Operates a computer utilizing such software programs as word processing, spreadsheets, and databases.

Knowledge of:

• Pertinent Federal, State, and local laws, codes and regulations;
• Criminal behavior and causes underlying criminality and social, psychological and physical needs of criminals;
• Standard police practices, methods, and procedures; Approved and accepted methods of investigation, apprehension, and rules of evidence;
• Police terminology and practices;
• Good public relations skills;
• Safe and appropriate use of firearms and other police related tools

SRO Certification Preferred

• Possess and maintain the appropriate CO operator's license for the type of City owned vehicle which the employee may operate in the scope of employment;
• Minimum 21 years of age and U.S. Citizen;
• Must abide by City residency requirement to qualify for take-home vehicle benefit;
• Must be able to legally possess and carry a firearm;
• Specific vision abilities required by this job include 20/20 vision or correctable to 20/20 vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, normal color acuity.

The skills and qualifications needed for the role of School Resource Officer include:

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, strong organizational skills, the ability to maintain confidentiality, patience, tact, and diplomacy.
• Make decisions that usually affect the assigned department and many times affect outside assigned departments.
• Must be able to demonstrate the ability to apply critical thinking skills in rendering solutions to various issues that arise in the schools; must be able to effectively communicate with both public and school personnel; extensive communications (verbal and written) with students, staff and internal/external stakeholders is required; will be responsible for managing behavior of victims, witnesses and others when handling or responding to incidents; requires the use of sound judgment; ability to work with youth and adults; ability to teach mini-courses to youth and adults.
• Requires the ability to speak and signal to people to convey or exchange professional information. Requires the ability to read a variety of professional, technical and administrative documentation, directions, instructions, methods and procedures related to police work and law enforcement. Requires the ability to write reports and essays with proper format, punctuation, spelling and grammar, using all parts of speech. Requires the ability to speak with and before others with poise, voice control, and confidence using correct English and well-modulated voice.
• Requires the ability to write reports and essays with proper format, punctuation, spelling and grammar, using all parts of speech. Requires the ability to speak with and before others with poise, voice control, and confidence using correct English and well-modulated voice.
• Required proficiency in Microsoft Office, Outlook, and other office equipment such as incident reporting software, fax, copiers, and scanners.

Employment Type: regular Full time position with full benefits