Schools Search for Alternatives to SROs

Oct 12, 2021, 3:34 PM

(From K12 Dive) Following over a year of protests against police brutality and racial injustice, some school districts are looking for alternative ways to keep schools safe. According to the National Association of School Resource Officers (NASRO), many school districts have brought SROs back with modifications or put in place similar alternative programs. Some modifications include using "soft uniforms" — or a polo shirt with police gear still included — in order to make officers seem more approachable, having on-call SROs who are removed from the building but available to help when needed, and removing the arrest powers of SROs in schools. Overall, the rethinking of approaches to SROs in schools has not impacted the number of SROs in schools, said Mo Canady, executive director of the NASRO.