Skip To Main Content

What is the SRO Program ?

 
The SRO Program
 

History of the SRO Program

  

The position of School Resource Officer is a cooperative effort between the Lower Dauphin School District and the Hummelstown Police Department.

 

The SRO program started in Flint, Michigan in the late 1950’s.  This became the model for future programs in the United States.  In the 1960’s, the SRO program expanded to places including Tucson, Arizona; Saginaw, Michigan; Cincinnati, Ohio; Los Angeles, California; Miami and Orlando, Florida.

 

School Resource Officer in Lower Dauphin Schools

 

The mission of SRO program is to:

  1. Provide a means to disseminate, share, advise and coordinate information on the value of qualified law enforcement officers to teach elementary, junior high, and high school students on the principles of good citizenship and community responsibility.
  2. To demonstrate, by example and other means, the dangers associated with alcohol and drugs, criminal activities, and other anti-social behavior.

 The SRO works on a TRIAD concept, viewing the SRO in the roles of a teacher, counselor and law enforcement officer.

What does your SRO do?

  1. Visible, active law enforcement figure on campus dealing with any law related issues.
  2. Classroom resource for instruction in law related education, violence diffusion, safety programs, alcohol and drug prevention , crime prevention, and other areas.
  3. Member of the faculty and administrative team working hand in hand to solve problems in the school community.
  4. Resource for the students which will enable them to be associated with a law enforcement figure in the student's environment.
  5. Resource to teachers, parents, and students for conferences on an individual basis, dealing with individual problems or questions.
  6. Counseling resource in areas which may affect the educational environment but may be of a law related nature.

Goals of the SRO program are:

  1. Bridge the gap between police officers and young people and increase positive attitudes towards law enforcement
  2. Teach the value of our legal system
  3. Promote respect for people and property
  4. Take personal interest in students and their activities
  5. Reduce juvenile crime by helping students formulate an awareness of rules, authority and justice.
  6. To allow students access to the legal system
  7. Teach students how to avoid becoming a victim through self awareness and crime prevention.