The COPS Office supports safe schools by providing grant funds, technical assistance, and resources to help deploy School Resource Officers (SROs). Learn more about SROs and all of our projects and resources that support school safety.

What is a School Resource Officer?

SROs are sworn law enforcement officers responsible for safety and crime prevention in schools, employed by a local police department, sheriff's agency, or school system. They work closely with school administrators to create a safer environment.

The Four Roles of an SRO

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Law enforcer

Promotes safety by addressing crime and fear of crime
Serves as a liaison between the school and outside agencies

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Mentor

Builds relationships
Reinforces positive behaviors
Connects youth with needed services

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Educator

Teaches topics related to law enforcement and positive student behavior
Collaborates with stakeholder groups

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Emergency manager

Develops and implements comprehensive safety plans
Coordinates with school administrators and local first responders

SROs are sworn law enforcement officers responsible for safety and crime prevention in schools.

A local police department, sheriff's agency, or school system typically employs SROs who work closely with school administrators in an effort to create a safer environment.

The responsibilities of SROs are similar to regular police officers in that they have the ability to make arrests, respond to calls for service, and document incidents that occur within their jurisdiction.

Beyond law enforcement, SROs also serve as educators, emergency managers, and mentors. Learn more about School Resource Officers and School-based Policing here.

While an SRO's primary responsibility is law enforcement, whenever possible, SROs should strive to employ non-punitive techniques when interacting with students. Arrests should be used only as a last resort under specified circumstances, and SROs should never get involved in school discipline matters that would normally be handled by teachers and school staff.

Important Considerations When Assigning School Resource Officers:

Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)

To ensure collaboration between the law enforcement agency and the educational community, an agency receiving funding for SROs will be required to submit an MOU to the COPS Office prior to implementing its CHP grant. For more information please review the MOU Fact Sheet.

School Safety & FERPA

Training

The COPS Office is committed to student success in a safe, supportive environment and the FY2020 COPS Hiring Program (CHP) includes awards to deploy school resources officers (SROs) in K-12 schools. To ensure officers have the knowledge and resources to work in school settings, all funded SROs complete the NASRO Basic School Resource Officer Course at no cost to the agency. For more information, please see the FY2026 COPS Hiring Program School Resource Officer Mandatory Training.

Assessments

The level of safety in a school must be assessed using multiple indicators that apply to the total school environment. Assessments are one of the most effective ways to identify significant gaps in emergency planning before an incident reveals them with chronic plan failure.

Safe School Resources

The Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (BSCA) provides increased mental health services and federal funding for safe, healthy, inclusive, school environments for students, teachers, and staff.

The Center for Positive Behavioral Interventions & Supports (PBIS) provides state-level and district-level technical assistance to scale and sustain multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS) in schools. MTSS helps overall school climate and provides increased levels of support for at-risk children to promote success.

Beyond the Badge: Profile of a School Resource Officer

In the midst of turmoil and division between law enforcement and the community of Ferguson, MO, St. Louis County School Resource Officer Ronald Cockrell works to bridge the gap between students and police officers. Beyond the Badge: Profile of a School Resource Officer follows Officer Cockrell during a school day at Central Middle School in Riverview Gardens, six months after the police shooting and protests that left North St. Louis County reeling. The story focuses on Cockrell’s efforts to build relationships, listen to students address fear of the police in a school town hall, mentor young people on how to deal with conflicts, and work with his colleagues to respond and support a student whose father is murdered.

Averted School Violence

The Averted School Violence (ASV) reporting system enables SROs and other law enforcement officers, school personnel and mental health professionals to share their stories and lessons learned, in order to improve school safety and help prevent future tragedies.

Additional Resources

Ten Essential Actions to Improve School Safety

The COPS Office School Safety Working Group, which is composed of representatives from eight national law enforcement organizations, has identified 10 essential actions that can be taken by schools, school districts, and law enforcement agencies to help prevent critical incidents involving the loss of life or injuries in our nation's schools and to respond rapidly and effectively when incidents do occur.

National Association of School Resource Officers (NASRO)

NASRO is an organization that promotes safer schools and partnerships between students, school faculty and law enforcement by providing training and resources for school-based law enforcement officers (SROs), school administrators and other stakeholders.

Photo: Mo Canady • Police in Schools Podcast by Mo Canady, NASRO Executive Director