School Resource Officer

History
The Tucson Police Department's School Resource Officer program is one of the oldest and most successful juvenile delinquency prevention programs in the country today. The School Resource Officer program, or SRO as it is commonly referred to, originated in Flint, Michigan in 1958. In 1962, former Tucson Police Chief Bernard Garmire met with the Tucson District One school board and developed the unique working relationship between the police department and the school district that still exists today.

Philosophy
The basic philosophy of the SRO program is that both police and educators share in the responsibility of identifying and preventing inappropriate juvenile behavior, even though dealing with the problem of juvenile delinquency is the obligation of the entire community.

Staffing
The School Resource Officer program is staffed by 23 experienced officers, specially selected and trained to work with young people. Each officer is assigned to a public middle school and the neighborhood elementary schools or high schools within the city limits. Each SRO is responsible for about six schools and works closely with the faculty and staff in situations that may require mediation or intervention in problems involving students.

The SROs also meet with parent groups to provide information and discuss student problems, and often become involved in individual conferences when needed. Contrary to what some people may believe, the SROs are not in school to enforce school policy, become the school disciplinarian, or be the campus "cop." The SROs are there to work closely with school administrators and staff in helping kids. Because schools are where most kids spend their day, they provide the greatest opportunity to work with young people in preventing delinquent behavior and developing positive attitudes.

Education
School Resource Officers spend a great deal of their time in classrooms talking about a variety of subjects from safety to constitutional law, shoplifting to substance abuse, or criminal law to effective problem solving.

School Emergency Response Plan
The Tucson Police Department and Tucson Fire Department have partnered with the Arizona Department of Education and several local school districts to provide information for schools to prepare an emergency response plan. These guidelines can be adapted to the needs of individual public, private, and charter schools to provide a systematic response to most hazards that schools are likely to encounter. The implementation of a structured incident command system will guide each employee in understanding his or her role in responding to a variety of school emergencies and hazards. These skills can be developed through repetition of scheduled lockdown, evacuation, and reverse evacuation drills. For assistance in developing an emergency response plan please consider contacting the following resources:

Tucson Police Department
School Resource Officer Unit
520-791-4499 Ext. 1801, 1802, 1803

Tucson Fire Department 
Emergency Management Training Coordinator
520-791-4806 Ext. 1204

Arizona Department of Education
Layton Dickerson, School Safety Specialist
602-542-8717/Ldicker@ade.az.gov

FEMA Independent Study Program 
Multi-Hazard Emergency Planning for Schools

SRO Speaking To Group

Facts

The School Resource Officer Unit supervisors can be reached at 520-791-4499 Ext. 1801, 1802, 1803.