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Job Description: School Resource Officer (SRO)

The School Resource Officer (SRO) is a certified Texas peace officer responsible for safety, security, and crime prevention within the school district. Operating under a tripartite model, the SRO serves as a law enforcement officer, a law-related counselor, and a guest lecturer/educator. The primary goal is to create a safe, secure, and nurturing learning environment for students, staff, and visitors while fostering positive relationships between youth and law enforcement.

This position requires strict adherence to Texas Education Code requirements, school board policies, and federal, state, and local laws.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities

1. Safety, Security, and Law Enforcement

• Active Threat Response & Prevention: Maintain a highly visible presence on campus. Serve as the first responder to emergency situations, active threats, disruptions, or criminal acts on school grounds.
• Campus Security Audits: Conduct regular sweeps and security assessments of school buildings, perimeters, parking lots, and gates to ensure compliance with state-mandated school safety standards (including Texas HB 3 compliance).
• Law Enforcement Duties: Investigate criminal activity occurring on school property or involving students. Take appropriate law enforcement action (arrests, citations, referrals) only when legally required or when school safety is compromised.
• Emergency Preparedness: Assist campus administration in developing, updating, and executing Emergency Operations Plans (EOPs), including conducting drills for lockdowns, evacuations, and severe weather.

2. Mentorship, Counseling, and Community Relations

• Positive Relationship Building: Act as a positive role model and mentor to students, working to bridge the gap between youth and law enforcement.
• De-escalation & Crisis Intervention: Employ restorative practices and de-escalation techniques to handle student conflicts and behavioral crises before they escalate into law enforcement matters.
• Problem Solving: Advise students, parents, and staff on law-related problems, personal safety, and delinquency prevention.

3. Education and Instruction

• Guest Lecturing: Conduct classroom presentations on law-related topics, including substance abuse prevention, digital safety/cyberbullying, traffic laws, underage drinking, and constitutional law.
• Staff Training: Educate school faculty and staff on crime trends, gang awareness, drug identification, and active shooter response strategies (e.g., CRASE training).

4. Administrative and Collaborative Duties

• Behavioral Threat Assessment: Serve as an active member of the campus Safe and Supportive School Program (SSSP) / Threat Assessment Team to identify and support at-risk students.
• Reporting: Prepare detailed police reports, incident logs, and documentation required by both the law enforcement agency and the school district.
• Court Attendance: Testify in court proceedings, juvenile hearings, or expulsion hearings as required.

Key Boundaries & Limitations (What an SRO is NOT)

Crucial Distinction: Per Texas law and best practices, SROs do not handle routine school discipline (e.g., tardiness, dress code violations, minor classroom disruptions). Administrative discipline is strictly the responsibility of school principals and assistant principals. SROs intervene only when actions cross into criminal conduct or pose an immediate threat to physical safety.

Qualifications & Requirements

Education & Licensure

• High School Diploma or GED (College coursework in criminal justice, psychology, or education is a plus).
• TCOLE Certification: Must possess an active, unrestricted license as a Peace Officer from the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement.
• Texas Driver's License: Valid, clear Texas Class C driver's license.

Required Specialized Training (Texas Mandated)

• Texas SRO Training: Completion of the state-mandated TCOLE Course 4064 (School Resource Officer Training) within the legally required timeframe of assignment.
• Active Shooter Response: Completion of Texas ALERRT (Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training).
• Mental Health Training: TCOLE Mental Health Officer certification or youth mental health crisis training is highly preferred.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Deep understanding of the Texas Penal Code, Texas Family Code (specifically juvenile justice laws), and the Texas Education Code.
• Excellent interpersonal communication skills, with a proven ability to communicate effectively with children, teenagers, diverse populations, and school administrators.
• Proficiency in conflict resolution, crisis intervention, and trauma-informed practices.
• Ability to think critically and make sound decisions under extreme, high-stress conditions.

Working Conditions & Physical Demands

• Environment: Exposure to indoor and outdoor environments, including variable weather conditions during arrival/dismissal and outdoor events.
• Physical Activity: Must possess the physical agility to run, climb, bend, sit or stand for long periods, and physically restrain or subdue individuals if necessary to protect life.
• Schedule: Typically aligns with the school calendar (day shifts), but requires occasional evening or weekend flexibility for athletic events, board meetings, and extracurricular activities.