Derailing the school-to-prison pipeline while preserving school police programs

Training and school-police program evaluation services for school police/SROs, principals, superintendents, central office administrators, police supervisors and law enforcement executives

The face of school safety in many school districts today is the school police/School Resource Officer. It is often difficult for education professionals to evaluate the performance of this function. Our company has over 90 years of combined day-to-day school safety management experience. We have worked on the most challenging of school-policing and safety issues with superintendents, boards, principals and the school-community. We are school people.

School Resource Officers (SROs) are a great asset in school safety. And we support the SRO concept when it is operating properly and consistent with best practices. Too often we hear from superintendents and school boards concerns about their SRO operation. As with curriculum, or any program in the school environment, periodic evaluation is critical to success. However, this evaluation can, at times, be difficult for school safety leaders. Let us navigate the process for your school district through training and/or consultation services for improved relationships and partnerships between school administrators and their police officers.

Our programs bring together diverse experts with decades experience in school-based policing, school security and emergency preparedness, school administration at the principal and district office levels, school psychology, news media management, social media strategy and crisis communications.

We offer services tailored to your specific district and school-community including:

• One and two day interactive workshops for building and district administrators, superintendents and their key central office administrators, community relations and public information officers,  school-based police/SROs and security staff, law enforcement agency supervisors and executive staff.
• School safety management consultation evaluations of school-based police and security departments, operations, personnel and services.

Some training topics and areas of focus may include:

• Policing the schools in today’s ambiguous, uncertain, political and polarized world: Programs, practices, personalities, politics and more…
• What does research tell us about school safety program and strategic crisis leadership?
• What does research tell us about School Resource Officer (SRO) effectiveness and SRO programs?
• Are there commonalities when SROs are in the headlines for questionable actions in schools?
• Models and best practices for school-based policing
• How building administrators and SRO/Police/Security can form meaningful working relationships
• Is your SRO the right officer for the school environment?
• Hiring, training, supervising, evaluating and terminating your school-based police officer
• Who’s in charge? Preventing and navigating power struggles and head-butting between principals and school officers
• The critical role of Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) agreements
• From one officer to another: Guidance to police officers on the simple truths of how school policing is different
• Training your school administrators, teachers and support staff on the school-based policing best practices
• Evaluation of the officer’s job description and roles
• From prevention to preparedness: Balancing the roles SROs play in schools
• The school-to-prison pipeline and student arrests: What is it, who are the players and how can you shut down the pipeline?
• Tough conversations about race, cultures, bias and more
• Distinguishing school disciplinary matters handled by principals from criminal matters handled by the SRO
• Building and district school administrators’ needs, expectations and boundaries for school police officers
• Analyzing school discipline and arrest data
• Understanding youth psychology, age and developmental issues, emotional and behavioral disorders
• Psychological impact of arrests on children and the long-term impact of their removal from school
• Special needs children, IEPs and the school officer
• FERPA and other privacy matters
• Alternatives to suspension, expulsion and arrest
• Use of force by school-based police officers
• Hot topics from Tasers and pepper spray to officer body cameras, school safety litigation and more
• When school-based policing programs go astray…and how to keep them, or get them back, on course
• Support systems for officers and administrators: Professional networking and training
• Communicating safety: How to promote the positive aspects of your school police/SRO program and how to manage crisis communications when incidents, issues, emotions and video go viral

In addition to audio-visual and interactive presenter presentations, training sessions include scenario-based learning and small group exercises.

Contact Ken Trump for more information and to discuss your unique needs.