Information on community resources. The SRO shall be familiar with community agencies that offer assistance to youths and their families, including but not limited to mental health clinics and drug treatment centers, and shall provide information on such agencies to students, parents, and/or school administrators when appropriate. In addition, the SRO shall provide information to the school principal, students, and parents regarding additional resources offered by community agencies or the Agencies providing afterschool and summer programs and opportunities for youth.
Information on community resources. SROs shall be familiar with community agencies that offer assistance to youths and their families, including, but not limited to, mental health clinics and drug treatment centers, and shall provide information on such agencies to students, parents, and/or school administrators when appropriate. In addition, SROs shall provide information to the school principal, students, and parents regarding additional resources offered in the community that provide afterschool and summer programs and opportunities for youth. Law Enforcement Actions and Safety Interventions. SROs may initiate appropriate law enforcement actions to address criminal matters, including matters that threaten the safety and security of the school or its occupants, and/or intervene with staff or students (with or without a referral from school staff) when necessary to ensure the immediate safety of persons in the school environment in light of an actual or imminent threat to health or safety. Any such intervention shall be reasonable in scope and duration in light of the nature of the circumstances presented and shall be reasonably calculated to protect the physical safety of members within the school community, while minimizing, to the extent possible, any unintended negative effects on students. All law enforcement actions and interventions to protect the safety of others shall be consistent with all applicable laws, regulations, and policies. Use of force may be implemented pursuant to Agency procedures and protocol as well as all applicable laws, if objectively reasonable based on the totality of the circumstances, and shall not be excessive, arbitrary, or malicious. SROs also shall, whenever possible, advise the principal before requesting additional law enforcement assistance on campus and shall request such assistance only when necessary to protect the safety or security of those present on the school campus. Alternative Resolutions. SROs shall, as much as possible, seek all alternative methods other than arrest when dealing with problems arising at their assigned school. This includes, but is not limited to: Speaking with and providing advice to students in order to deter future problems and help build better rapport between students and the SRO; Referring students to Teen Court in lieu of filing of criminal charges/citations; and Issuing warning citations for minor traffic infractions committed on school premises.
