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Comparison of Program Activities and Lessons Learned Among 19 School Resource Officer (SRO) Programs

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Comparison of Program Activities and Lessons Learned Among 19 School Resource Officer (SRO) Programs The author(s) shown below used Federal funds provided by the U.S. Department of Justice and prepared the following final report: Document Title: Comparison of Program Activities and Lessons Learned among 19 School Resource Officer (SRO) Programs Author(s): Peter Finn, Michael Shively, Jack McDevitt, William Lassiter, Tom Rich Document No.: 209272 Date Received: March 2005 Award Number: 2000-IJ-CX-K002 This report has not been published by the U.S. Department of Justice. To provide better customer service, NCJRS has made this Federally- funded grant final report available electronically in addition to traditional paper copies. Opinions or points of view expressed are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice. This document is a research report submitted to the U.S. Department of Justice. This report has not been published by the Department. Opinions or points of view expressed are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice. Comparison of Program Activities and Lessons Learned among 19 School Resource Officer (SRO) Programs February 28, 2005 Prepared for Brett Chapman National Institute of Justice 810 7th Street NW Washington, DC 20531 Prepared by Peter Finn, Abt Associates Michael Shively, Abt Associates Jack McDevitt, Northeastern University William Lassiter, Center for the Prevention of School Violence Tom Rich, Abt Associates This document is a research report submitted to the U.S. Department of Justice. This report has not been published by the Department. Opinions or points of view expressed are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice. Table of Contents Executive Summary...........................................................................................................1 Chapter 1 Introduction .............................................................................. 7 Background to the Report ....................................................................................................7 Other Reports the National Assessment Prepared ...............................................................8 Topics the Report Addresses .............................................................................................10 Chapter 2 Choosing a Program Model .................................................. 13 Chapter Summary ..............................................................................................................13 How the Programs Fall on the Three-Focus Continuum ...................................................14 How to Select a Position on the Continuum ......................................................................18 Chapter 3 Defining Specific SRO Roles and Responsibilities.............. 23 Chapter Summary ..............................................................................................................23 A Critical Early Step—But It Is Never Too Late to Do It.................................................24 Put the Roles and Responsibilities in Writing ...................................................................25 Involve the Schools in Developing the Responsibilities....................................................32 Distribute the List of Roles and Responsibilities, and Periodically Review Them...........33 Chapter 4 Recruiting SROs..................................................................... 35 Chapter Summary ..............................................................................................................35 Solicit Volunteers for the SRO Positions...........................................................................36 Developing Application and Selection Criteria .................................................................37 Core Competencies ................................................................................................37 Desirable Qualities and Skills ...............................................................................38 Minimum and Maximum Tours of Duty.................................................................38 The Key: The SRO’s Personality ..........................................................................39 Recruitment Methods.........................................................................................................40 Announcing the Position........................................................................................40 Using Incentives.....................................................................................................40 The Screening Process .......................................................................................................41 Retaining SROs..................................................................................................................43 Chapter 5 Training and Supervising SROs ........................................... 47 Chapter Summary ..............................................................................................................47 Training SROs ...................................................................................................................48 Pre-Service Training..............................................................................................49 In-Service Training ................................................................................................51 Training in Collaborative Problem Solving ..........................................................52 Training for School Administrators.......................................................................54 Abt Associates Inc.: SRO Cross-Site Report i Table of Contents This document is a research report submitted to the U.S. Department of Justice. This report has not been published by the Department. Opinions or points of view expressed are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice. Supervising SROs ..............................................................................................................55 Importance of Supervision .....................................................................................56 Barriers to Supervision..........................................................................................56 Approaches to Supervision ....................................................................................57 Involving School Personnel in Supervising ...........................................................60 Chapter 6 Collaborating with School Administrators.......................... 63 Chapter Summary ..............................................................................................................63 The Basic Problem: A Culture Clash................................................................................64 School Administrator Concerns about the Program ..........................................................66 Who’s in Charge? ..................................................................................................67 Who Makes the Decision to Arrest?.......................................................................67 Why Isn’t “My” SRO Available All the Time? ......................................................68 Other School Administrator Concerns...................................................................69 Ways of Gaining School Administrators’ Support ............................................................72 Collaboration Is the Key........................................................................................72 Explain the Potential Program Benefits to Administrators ...................................73 Orient Administrators to the Program...................................................................74 Train SROs before they Go on the Job ..................................................................76 Address Administrators’ Concerns about SROs’ Availability...............................77 Accept—and Work with—the Likelihood of Some Initial Conflict..................................79 Gaining Support from Teachers.........................................................................................80 Teacher Concerns about the Program...................................................................80 Ways of Gaining Teacher Support.........................................................................81 Chapter 7 Working with Parents and Students .................................... 85 Chapter Summary ..............................................................................................................85 Walking the Fine Line .......................................................................................................86 Counseling .........................................................................................................................88 Supportive Interpersonal Relationships with Students ......................................................90 Finding the Right Balance .................................................................................................91 Working with Parents ........................................................................................................93 Why Working with Parents Is Important ...............................................................93 Concerns
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