My primary audience will be the law enforcement officers who work in K-12 schools, whether as school resource officers or as school district police officers.  I believe that their work has complexities that are often overlooked. Originally placed in school districts to help bridge gaps between police officers and students, they now serve a dual role as likely first responders to a school active shooter incident. They have the same responsibilities as any other police officer, with the added pressure of possibly facing an active shooter while outgunned and without backup. School officers must comply with the same laws, regulations, and licensing requirements as other officers, as well as comply with laws specific to policing in an education environment. With the rising level of school violence, this topic is crucial to current and future safety of the schools. 

During the interview Mr. Parks and I discussed a number of issues regarding schools and safety to fully understand the breadth of operations and how SROs fit into the program. While some schools have elected to create their own police departments, Mr. Parks said this was felt to be unnecessary when asked if they considered going this direction. He informed me PISD had no intention or desire to create their own police force, not only due to the extensive cost of such, but because the level of service they receive from city departments in the area has always proven to be exemplary and they do not want to infringe on those partnerships.  In his experience through the introduction and expansion of the SRO program in the Plano ISD, several points have evolved and become best practice to ensure everyone is on the same page. These are including the SRO in normal school staff meetings to keep them aware of current activity, involve them in helping train and critique emergency school drills to best address all safety concerns, and ensure they maintain tactical readiness. Another practice that has been effective is allowing officers opportunities to interact with and get to know the students. These interactions help form relationships that make students more likely to inform officers of problems or knowledge about events within the school. 

Several emerging issues were identified related to school-based policing, primarily related to active shooter response and prevention. There should be increased emphasis on mental health services for students. More emphasis should be placed on being uniform in conducting school threat assessments and ensuring the school resource officer is included in these assessments. There is a need for better coordination of information-sharing among government agencies (law enforcement and schools) to connect the dots before a school-shooting occurs. There must be an increased focus on physical security of school campuses. The events in Uvalde will undoubtedly identify additional issues that need to be addressed.

The Legal Guide topic is important because police officers policing in a school environment are normal licensed peace officers in the State of Texas. They are responsible for maintaining their certification and continuing education, so they are responsible for all the normal sources of law of any Texas Peace Officer. Officers assigned to work in a school setting also have additional training requirements outlined by TCOLE which they must adhere to. Additionally, school resource officers must be knowledgeable with Texas Education Code, Family Educational Rights & Privacy Act, Texas Administrative Code, Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, and other laws relevant to an educational setting. Having officers and administrators knowledgeable on how best to adapt to operations within a school will enhance the security and safety of everyone involved. 

In 2012, the National Association of School Resource Officers (NASRO) produced a report titled “To Protect & Educate: The School Resource Officer and the Prevention of Violence in Schools”. This report outlines the mission and purpose of NASRO. This report focuses on child welfare reform, student rights, victim’s rights, and liability. The report outlines the history of police officers in schools in America and provides statistics and data which show the success of school resource officer programs. The report talks about the triad of school resource officer responsibility as educator, informal counselor, and law enforcement officer (National Association of School Resource Officers, 2012).  

 

National Association of School Resource Officers. (2012). To protect & educate: The school resource officer and the prevention of violence in schools. NASRO. https://www.nasro.org/clientuploads/About-Mission/NASRO-To-Protect-and-Educate-nosecurity.pdf

·       The article details how active shooter drills and training helped minimize casualties highlighting the fact that being prepared for the worst type of scenario has the potential to save lives. Training and knowledge are two of the most important skills one can have if these situations occur. 

·       Within two minutes, the shooter, a sophomore, was in custody. Oxford, MI school resource officer was critical in stopping a gunman who was engaged in an active shooter incident. An effective partnership between schools and SROs is essential to ensuring these incidents are ended quickly and others are protected. 

Erb, R. (2021, November 30). Three students dead, eight injured at oxford high School. Sophomore in custody | bridge michigan. The Bridge, Michigan. Retrieved July 17, 2022, from https://www.bridgemi.com/talent-education/three-students-dead-eight-injured-oxford-high-school-sophomore-custody

·       Focus is on acting as a counselor, gives examples of differences the officers have made in students’ lives.

·       The article discusses the role as a teacher, reading to classrooms, teaching about police work, and building relationships with students.

·       The original SRO program began in Flint, MI and had nothing to do with responding to active shooters.

·       Discussion about the evolving role of SROs in schools, and how SRO’s job can include many facets of law enforcement and public safety, offering expertise on safety issues, including risk and threat assessment; assisting in lock-down drills; contributing to crisis planning, including training teachers on how to respond when face-to-face with an active shooter (Opsahl, 2022).

Opsahl, K. (2022, January 25). From counselor to cop. Medford News, Weather, Sports, Breaking News | Mail Tribune -. Retrieved July 19, 2022, from https://www.mailtribune.com/top-stories/2022/01/25/from-counselor-to-cop/

-        U.S. Congress

-        Family Educational Rights & Privacy Act (20 U.S.C. § 1232g; 34 CFR Part 99)

-        https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/CFR-2010-title34-vol1/pdf/CFR-2010-title34-vol1-part99.pdf

o   FERPA generally prevents the release or disclosure of education records and personal identifying information of students.

o   Schools must balance privacy for students and interests of safety.

o   Allows for schools to release some personal identifying information to law enforcement in the interest of safety.

o   Schools can release Education Records and personal identifying information to threat assessment teams, including outside law enforcement agencies and mental health professionals.

o   In some circumstances, a school resource officer may be considered a school official.

State

-        Texas Legislature

-        Texas Education Code – Duty to Report to Law Enforcement (Tex. Ed. Code § 37.015)

-        https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/ED/htm/ED.37.htm

o   Principal, or designee, is required to report certain criminal offenses to local law enforcement if the principal has reasonable grounds to believe the offense occurred in school, on school property, or at a school-sponsored or school-related activity on or off school property, whether or not the activity was investigated by school security officers.

o   Principal may designate a school employee to make the reports required.

o   Name and address of each student believed to have been involved in the criminal offense must be reported.

o   Reportee will not be liable in civil damages for reporting in good faith.

-        United States Supreme Court

-        New Jersey v. T.L.O., 469 U.S. 325 (1985)

-        https://www.uscourts.gov/educational-resources/educational-activities/facts-and-case-summary-new-jersey-v-tlo

o   Supreme Court case established standard of reasonableness for searches of students conducted by school officials.

o   4^th Amendment of U.S. Constitution prohibition on unreasonable searches applies

o   School officials do not need probable cause or obtain a warrant.

o   School officials need only have reasonable suspicion the student violated school rules or law.

-        Texas Education Agency – Texas Administrative Code

-        Tex. Admin. Code Title 19 Part 2 §103.1207 Unauthorized Entry

o   School administrator, school resource officer, or district peace officer may refuse to allow a person to enter on or may eject a person from proper under the district’s control if the person refuses to leave and:

o   Person poses a substantial risk of harm to any person; or

o   Person behaves in a manner that is inappropriate for a school setting

o   Identification may be required of any person on district property.

o   Person may be issued a criminal trespass warning for up to two years

o   Action may be appealed to school district’s board of trustees.

-        First Amendment of the United States Constitution

-        U.S. Const. amend. I

-        https://constitution.congress.gov/constitution/amendment-1/

o   Protects freedom of speech

o   Protects right of the people peaceably to assemble

o   Students enjoy same rights, however schools may take reasonable action to maintain a safe and functioning learning environment

o   School may prohibit an otherwise protected expression if it will substantially interfere with school operations or the rights of others.

State

-        The Texas Constitution

-        Tex. Const. art. VII, § 1

-        https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/CN/htm/CN.7.htm#:~:text=A%20general%20diffusion%20of%20knowledge,system%20of%20public%20free%20schools.

o   Provides for support and maintenance of system of public free schools

Plano Independent School District. (2019). Safety Program/Risk Management Security Personnel. (Plano ISD Policy No. 043910). Plano, TX: PISD

 

Law enforcement code of ethics. (1957). International Association of Chiefs of Police. Retrieved June 21, 2022, from https://www.theiacp.org/resources/law-enforcement-code-of-ethics

Link: https://www.theiacp.org/resources/law-enforcement-code-of-ethics

 

-        As police officers, school resource officers are sworn to uphold their oath of office, policies and procedures, and the law enforcement code of ethics. A scenario that can create an ethical dilemma is when a school principal, who the school resource officer reports to, wants the officer to enforce school policies or standards. Police officers are prohibited from enforcing school policies and are only authorized to enforce criminal laws

 

It is critically important that I understand the perspective and needs of school administrators and how it relates to my role as a law enforcement administrator. Developing and maintaining these cooperative partnerships is crucial to maintaining a safe school environment in our community.  It is difficult for school resource officers to discern what is allowable when working in a school environment as compared to other assignments in the police department. This highlights the importance of identifying and providing regular, recurring training for our school resource officers, so that they can have the necessary skills, tools and training to be successful in this demanding but critically important assignment.

2.     School resource officers should adopt the triad philosophy concerning their duties as teacher, counselor, law enforcement officer.

3.     In addition to mandatory training, school resource officers should seek out additional training in crisis intervention techniques, de-escalation, and dealing with persons with mental health issues.

4.     School resource officers should not enforce house rules, school disciplinary policies, and procedures.

5.     School resource officers must take the initiative to get engaged with the students, spend time getting to know them and building relationships, make themselves available as a resource for the students.

6.     School resource officers should attend school staff meetings and be involved in threat assessment teams. 

7.     School resource officers should share their knowledge and expertise by being actively involved in emergency response plans, drills, and work to educate staff and students on how to respond in an emergency situation.