What does a School Safety Program (SSP) school resource officer do?

School resource officers (SROs) are police officers who work at a school to provide services to students, legal guardians, and school staff. SSP SROs serve in three key roles within the school community. First, they are law enforcement officers who help maintain a safe campus by responding to unlawful incidents, assessing threats, and providing crisis intervention. Second, they are law-related educators, teaching students about laws, the legal system, and promoting civic responsibility. Lastly, they serve as positive role models by building relationships, offering resources, and maintaining an open-door policy to support and connect with students.  

What does a typical day look like in this job?

An SSP SRO’s activities can be different every day, but something that remains constant is maintaining a visible presence on campus. SROs may start by being present at student arrival or talking with students in the hallway before school begins. They help maintain safety on school campuses all day long and may collaborate with school security. They meet with students and work with school staff to help address conflicts or behavioral issues if there could be legal consequences. They should be used as a resource to educate youth and their families on the legal consequences of certain actions. They also connect youth to resources that will help them at school and at home. SROs help school administration with planning school safety exercises like lockdowns or evacuation drills.

SSP SROs teach classes on law-related topics, like drug use prevention, civic responsibilities, and bully prevention. They may teach classes for students, teachers, and legal guardians and other community members. Law related education (LRE) is meant to teach youth about their rights and responsibilities while also allowing youth to practice important life skills. Additionally, SROs act as mentors for students. They do this by providing a good example of how to approach conflicts, helping students think through decisions, and connecting students and their families to community resources. A big part of being an SRO is building relationships with students, teachers, and school staff. Overall, their day is a blend of law enforcement, education, mentorship, and collaboration to create a safe and supportive school environment.

What skills or abilities are important for this job?

SROs need to have good people skills so that they can build relationships with students, legal guardians, and school staff. They need to be good at collaboration and teamwork so that they can work with school administrators and staff to ensure school safety. They must be able to explain law-related topics in a way that students can understand. Building trust with students is also important so that students feel comfortable talking to them when help is needed. 
 
It is very important for SROs to be able to recognize student crises and to know how to respond to them. They must know how to help people solve conflicts peacefully. SROs need to be good at staying calm during difficult situations to prevent challenging situations from becoming worse.  

What kind of education, certification, or training is required?

SROs in Arizona must be certified peace officers (law enforcement officers) or retired peace officers in good standing, meaning they left their job without any disciplinary issues. Arizona requires peace officers to be a U.S. citizen, have a high school diploma or a GED, and be at least 21 years old. They must pass a background investigation and meet physical and medical standards. Peace officers are required to complete basic training at a police academy, including firearms training. They also need to receive certification through the Arizona Peace Officer Standards and Training Board (AZPOST) after completing their training. Retired peace officers may need to be recertified before they are able to become SROs. 
 
After becoming a certified law enforcement officer, SROs must complete extra training to work in schools. This includes learning about mental health awareness, communicating with students, and how to calm down stressful situations. SROs from a School Safety Program site receive special training in law-related education. Even after becoming an SRO, they must continue learning with more training to stay up to date.  

What is challenging about this job?

One of the most challenging parts of an SRO’s job is balancing multiple roles. SROs act as law enforcement officers, educators, and mentors. Each of these roles has different responsibilities, and it can be difficult to manage all of these responsibilities at the same time. It can also be difficult to handle conflicts that may arise. SROs may have to respond to student crises or emotional situations, which can be very hard. They have to be able to stay calm and make good decisions in these situations without damaging their relationships with students.  

What is the average salary in Arizona?

Visit ZipRecruiter to see recent information about the average salary of an SRO in Arizona.