History of the School Resource Officer Program

Initially created in 1951 in Liverpool, England, the concept of police liaison officers first came to North America in 1958 by way of Flint, Michigan, where the concept was known as the School Resource Officer (SRO) philosophy. Since that time the philosophy has spread across England, the United States and Canada. Its overall goal was to improve the relationship between the local police and youth. Officers were placed in schools on a full time basis for the first time ever. They served as educators and counselors.

The Flint, Michigan program was declared a success and became a model for future school resource officer programs across the United States. Positive evaluations have kept the program in place for the past 40 years.

In January of 1973, the National Advisory Commission on Criminal Justice Standards and Goals, convened in Washington, DC to formulate goals for crime reduction and prevention. The commission advised that all law enforcement agencies should provide at least one annual presentation to every grade level in their jurisdiction related to the law enforcement officer’s role in society. The Commission also recommended that every agency over 400 employees should assign a full time officer to each junior high and high school to teach classes, counsel students, be a resource and enforce the law. This is the first opportunity in which the school resource officer program received national recognition.

NASRO, the National Association of School Resource Officers, adopted the “Triad” approach for law enforcement programs in the schools outlining the role of the school resource officer as that of a teacher, counselor and law enforcement officer. The mission of NASRO was adopted specifying:

• The advancement of education and charity, and any other related or corresponding purpose by the use and distribution of it's funds for such purposes.

• To provide a means to disseminate, share, advise and coordinate information on the value of qualified law enforcement officers to teach elementary, junior high, and high school students on the principles of good citizenship and community responsibility.

• To demonstrate, by example and other means, the dangers associated with alcohol and drugs, criminal activities, and other anti-social behavior.

1998 saw the first NASRO conference truly go “international” with participants coming from Canada and Australia.