School Resource Officer (SRO)
Definition
A sworn law enforcement officer assigned to work in schools, providing security, building relationships with students, teaching law-related classes, and responding to incidents. SRO programs aim to improve school safety and police-youth relationships. However, SROs’ presence can criminalize normal adolescent behavior, with Black students disproportionately arrested for minor infractions. Many districts are reconsidering SRO programs and investing instead in counselors and mental health support.
Louisville Context
JCPS partners with LMPD to provide SROs in high schools and some middle schools, funded through a combination of JCPS and LMPD budgets. SRO presence has been controversial: some families view SROs as essential safety resources while others argue police presence criminalizes students and contributes to school-to-prison pipeline, particularly affecting Black students who are arrested at disproportionate rates for similar behaviors as white students.
Why It Matters
School safety is essential, but the approach matters enormously. Police in schools can either build positive relationships or criminalize typical adolescent mistakes. Data shows Black students are arrested more often than white students for identical behaviors when SROs are present. Whether SRO funding is the best investment for safety—versus counselors, mental health support, and conflict resolution programs—is a crucial policy question.
Dave’s Proposal
Dave will work with JCPS and LMPD to ensure SROs receive extensive youth development and de-escalation training, establish clear policies limiting arrests for minor infractions, and require data collection on SRO interactions by race. He’ll advocate for balancing SRO funding with increased investment in school counselors, social workers, and mental health support.