Children with Special Needs and the School Resource Officer (SRO)
Numerous incidents of questionable interactions between School Resource Officers (SROs) or local police officers and children with special needs have shocked the public conscience in recent years. These unsuccessful events, often recorded by students and posted on social media, have understandably drawn the attention of the national news media and education leaders. We are often […]
Spring Valley High School police – student altercation analysis: A failure of administration and School Resource Officer (SRO) best practices
The viral video of a South Carolina School Resource Officer (SRO) dragging a female student out of a classroom chair raises as many questions about a failure of school administration as it raises questions about school officer tactics and best practices in school-based policing. Three wrongs a disaster makes “This situation was a no-win as […]
School Resource Officers (SROs): Training, Selection, and Communication are Keys
Curt Lavarello has over 24 years experience in the field of school-based policing. It doesn’t take him long to identify the top three critical elements of a successful School Resource Officer (SRO) program: Complete agency commitment to the program from the chief/sheriff and throughout all areas of the agency; The selection and training of the right persons to […]