2855 Colonial Boulevard
Fort Myers, FL 33966-1012

Executive Director: Dr. Carl Brunick

Assistant Director: Ms. Jackie Turner
Contact: Dawn Griffin

Telephone: (239) 337-8343

• Mission
• Purpose
• Introduction
• Program Description
• Program Advisory Committee
• Evaluation
• Job Description
• Addendum 1
• Addendum 2

Our Mission… to promote good citizenship through intervention and prevention initiatives.

Our Purpose… to enhance the relationship between students and law enforcement officers and to promote positive juvenile behavior by utilizing the resources of both the school and the law enforcement agencies.

Introduction

In compliance with Florida State Statute 1006.12, the Law Enforcement Agencies of Lee County, in conjunction with the Lee County School Board present the services of the School Resource Officer Program (SROP). In order to accomplish the objectives, the School Resource Officer shall function within the school setting, foremost as a law enforcement officer, sworn to uphold the law. Only through a cooperative, broadly based, flexible approach can the following objectives be adequately realized:

1. To perform law enforcement functions within the school setting.
2. To identify and prevent, through counseling and referral, delinquent behavior, including substance abuse.
3. To foster a better understanding of the law enforcement function.
4. To develop a better appreciation of citizen rights, obligations, and responsibilities.
5. To provide information about crime prevention.
6. To provide assistance and support for victims identified within the school setting, including abused children.
7. To promote positive relations between students and law enforcement officers.
8. To enhance knowledge of the fundamental concepts and structure.

Program Description

This program calls for the assignment of law enforcement officer to elementary, middle and high schools to work with students and enhance the relationship between students and law enforcement, and to promote positive behavior utilizing the resources of both law enforcement agencies and the school.

The School Resource Officer shall:

1. Be considered a member of the faculty of the school to which he/she is assigned.
2. Become familiar with the school, and the surrounding community it serves.
3. Be provided a permanent, secured, work area.
4. Work cooperatively with the administration and staff on coordinating activities.
5. Report to his/her respective department any criminal or suspicious activities.
6. Maintain a contact report on the various students whom he/she has occasion to mentor in an official capacity.
7. Present programs on various issues such as drug, alcohol, and tobacco resistance, auto theft, DUI, bullying, decision making, and consequences.
8. Interact, at the SRO’s discretion, with the student in the following ways: between classes, during lunch periods, before and after school, at school activities such as football and basketball games, and in classrooms. If compensation for after school duties is not available for overtime or detail pay, the following procedure is recommended: The principal or his/her designee should along with the affiliated law enforcement agency, plan in advance so that the SRO’s total weekly hours do not exceed normal hours.
9. Perform other law enforcement duties such as latent investigations, special investigations, and special duties, which are assigned by supervisors. The SRO will inform school officials of such investigations, when appropriate.
10. Serve as an additional resource for the students, faculty, and parents to the many social agencies and facilities available to the public.
11. Work in alliance with the school in identifying students in need of assistance.
12. Not to be assigned to any specific location or duty at any specific time.
13. Not to be involved in the discipline of students or the enforcement of school rules.

Program Advisory Committee

There shall be a Lee County SROP Advisory committee composed of a representative from each law enforcement agency, an active School Resource Officer, an elementary school administrator, a middle school administrator, a high school administrator, and a school district administrator. This board shall meet regularly, and will be responsible to monitor, evaluate, and make recommendations regarding the SROP.

Responsibilities of the Advisory Committee shall be to:

• Recommend appropriate training programs for the SRO’s.
• Recommend appropriate school activities and programs to be conducted by SRO’s.
• Advise the superintendent and law enforcement agency heads on program needs and activities, and gather as much data as may be needed to evaluate the SRO program.

Evaluation

The SRO supervisor of each law enforcement agency is responsible for insuring the collection and reporting of all school resource related data for monitoring and evaluation purposes and submitting data to the School District SROP liaison.  Data will be submitted in a form appropriate to the receiving group. Specific data collected includes but shall not be limited to the following:

• The number of classroom presentations and special guest lectures made by subject area and group.
• The number of referrals to the Department of Juvenile Justice single intake by type of offense.
• The availability and accessibility of the SRO for individual counseling/meetings with students, parents, and/or faculty members.
• Interaction and communication by the SRO with students.
• The number of youths referred to other school and community resources.
• The number and type of criminal offenses reported in assigned school
• The number of youth arrested by type of offense.
• The number of student conferences held.

Job Description - School Resource Officer

General Responsibilities

1. Promotes a positive image of a law enforcement officer, and creates a good public relations within the school and community.
2. Strive to develop a basic understanding and enforcement of the law as well as the prevention of juvenile crime through education and counseling.
3. Act as a liaison between the law enforcement agencies, the schools and community, and coordinate all SRO activities with the principal and/or designee. It is recommended that the SRO be responsible to the principal or his/her designee within the school.
4. Protect the confidentiality of records and reports of the students and staff of the school. (See item 5.27, student records, of the Lee County School Board Policy Handbook)

Specific Duties

1. As a law enforcement officer
   • Enforce Statutes of the State of Florida.
   • Perform other law enforcement duties assigned to SRO, such as latent investigations, special investigations, special assignments, etc.
   • Report any school related criminal violation referred to the SRO, to the Principal and the Law Enforcement Supervisor.
   • Disseminate materials and pamphlets involving crime prevention.
2. Individual and Group Guidance
   • Assists in identifying students displaying early signs of delinquency in order to guide them away from deviant behavior.
   • Work as a team member with school professionals in assisting students with problems.
   • Serves as a referral source for students, faculty, and parents to social agencies and services available.
   • Provides guidance to entire classrooms or groups of students.
3. Classroom Presentations
   • Presents programs regarding alcohol and drug prevention, rape, crime, gang prevention, bullying, decision-making, child safety, and character education.
   • Explains traffic laws, safe driving techniques, and bicycle safety.
   • Present an outline of class offering will be presented at the start of a new school year.
4. Faculty and Parent Education
   • Presents programs in regard to role of the School Resource Officer in the schools to PTO, PTA, and CRT.
   • Assists school personnel and parents in drug identification.
   • Assists parents in the understanding and guidance of delinquent children.
   • Inform and educate school staff and faculty on points of law, drugs, gang and crime prevention.
5. Additional Student Interaction
   • Develops a rapport between students and law enforcement.
   • Interact with students during class breaks, lunch, before and after school, and during extracurricular activities.
   • SRO will assist as an advisor to the faculty appointed club sponsors of groups such as Student Welfare and Attendance, Safe and Drug Free Schools, and similar departments and clubs.
   • SRO will act as liaison officer to the school for the recruitment of youth into the various local programs sponsored by law enforcement agencies.
   • The SRO will act as witness to campus incidents he or she personally observes. The SRO shall not write school referrals or become involved in the disciplinary function of the school.
6. Arrests of Students
   • All officers will comply with the Policies and Procedures, as established by their agency.
   • The decision on whether or not to arrest a student lies solely with the SRO.
   • School administrators or officials may act as a witness in criminal cases.
   • The school districts decision to impose administrative action against a student is completely independent of any criminal case initiated by the SRO.
7. Campus Security
   • Internal campus security is the responsibility of the school administration and/or campus security officer.
   • The SRO may assist school administration and/or school personnel at the discretion of the SRO and/or the SRO supervisor.

Addendum #1
School Bus Stop/Crossing Procedures

Incidents of a non-criminal nature should be referred to the school administration. Incidents of a criminal nature should be referred to the appropriate law enforcement agency for that area. NOTE: The SRO should become involved only as a last resort when no other option is readily available.

Addendum #2
Handbook Changes

The preceding handbook may be amended by the common agreement among the agencies involved.

Additional Programs

D.A.R.E. Officers (Drug Abuse Resistance Education)

D.A.R.E. Officers are specially trained supplemental instructors teaching the copyrighted D.A.R.E. curriculum to students in a classroom setting. D.A.R.E. Officers’ role is to instruct students in this program. D.A.R.E. Officers enforcement duties while teaching on a school campus is limited to crisis intervention and emergency response situations.

G.R.A.M.P.A. Cops (FMPD only) (Getting Retirees Actively Motivated in Policing Again)

G.R.A.M.P.A. Cops are trained retired police officers that are supplemental officers to the SRO program, and used as instructors at the Elementary school level. These officers have no enforcement authority. The curriculum for the G.R.A.M.P.A. cops shall be, but not limited to, drug use, and abuse, firearms safety, bicycle safety, stranger awareness, etc.