The Alignment Between Community Policing and the Work of School Resource Officers

2022 ◽  
pp. 109861112110538
Author(s):  
Benjamin W. Fisher ◽  
Joseph McKenna ◽  
Ethan M. Higgins ◽  
Edward R. Maguire ◽  
Emily M. Homer
Keyword(s):  
Role Conflict ◽  
Community Policing ◽  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
Organizational Adaptation ◽  
Three Dimensions ◽  
School Resource Officers ◽  
Proof Of Concept ◽  
School Crime ◽  
Resource Officers ◽  
School Resource

Despite a growing literature showing the ineffectiveness of school resource officers (SROs) for reducing school crime, their use is widespread. Some of this ineffectiveness may arise from SROs’ experiences of role conflict due to their multi-faceted roles and conflicting expectations associated with following two authority structures. Community policing (CP) may offer a unifying perspective that can address some of these barriers. The current study uses data from 119 qualitative interviews with SROs from three U.S. states to examine the extent to which SROs’ activities align with three dimensions of CP: community partnerships, problem-solving, and organizational adaptation. This study finds that SROs’ described activities align well with these dimensions, suggesting that a CP framework may be a strong model for organizing and describing the work of SROs. This framework can be viewed as an initial proof of concept, and research may elaborate on the framework and assess its utility.

‘Bridging the gap’: school resource officers as bridge builders in the community policing era

2019 ◽  
Vol 43 (4) ◽  
pp. 433-448
Author(s):  
Ethan M. Higgins ◽  
Suzanne Overstreet ◽  
Brandon Coffey ◽  
Ben W. Fisher
Keyword(s):  
Community Policing ◽  
School Resource Officers ◽  
Resource Officers ◽  
School Resource

School Crime and the Patterns of Roles of School Resource Officers: Evidence From a National Longitudinal Study

2019 ◽  
Vol 66 (11) ◽  
pp. 1606-1629 ◽  
Author(s):  
Benjamin W. Fisher ◽  
Deanna N. Devlin
Keyword(s):  
Law Enforcement ◽  
National Level ◽  
School Resource Officers ◽  
School Crime ◽  
Resource Officers ◽  
National Longitudinal Study ◽  
Drug Crime ◽  
Property Crimes ◽  
Role Profiles ◽  
School Resource

This study used national-level two-wave longitudinal data from school principals ( N = 850) to examine whether and the extent to which implementing school resource officers (SROs) with varying role profiles related to changes in crime recorded in schools and reported to police. We identified three common role profiles of SROs: Low Engagement, Full Triad, and Reactionary. Implementing SROs engaged primarily in law enforcement (i.e., Reactionary SROs) predicted increases in recording nonserious violent and property crimes and a decrease in reporting drug crime to the police, respectively. Implementing Full Triad SROs who were also engaged in additional roles (e.g., mentoring) predicted a reduction in recording nonserious violent crimes, but an increase in recording property crimes and reporting crime to law enforcement.

Effects of school resource officers on school crime and responses to school crime

2020 ◽  
Vol 19 (3) ◽  
pp. 905-940 ◽  
Author(s):  
Denise C. Gottfredson ◽  
Scott Crosse ◽  
Zhiqun Tang ◽  
Erin L. Bauer ◽  
Michele A. Harmon ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
School Resource Officers ◽  
School Crime ◽  
Resource Officers ◽  
School Resource

Community Policing in Schools: Relationship-Building and the Responsibilities of School Resource Officers

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ryan Broll ◽  
Stephanie Howells
Keyword(s):  
Law Enforcement ◽  
Community Policing ◽  
School Administrators ◽  
Relationship Building ◽  
School Resource Officers ◽  
Resource Officers ◽  
Canadian City ◽  
American Schools ◽  
Sources Of Support ◽  
School Resource

Abstract School resource officers (SROs) have become nearly ubiquitous in North American schools in the last three decades. Most research on SROs has examined their impact on violence and disorder at school, yielding mixed results; however, it is widely accepted that traditional law enforcement responsibilities comprise only one element of SROs’ triad of responsibilities, which also includes teaching and counselling. Although their responsibilities are based in community policing models, little research has explored the place of community policing principles within the work of SROs. Drawing upon mixed methods data collected from school administrators and SROs in a large Canadian city, this study examines relationship-building within the context of SROs’ triad of responsibilities. The results suggest that SROs follow a community policing approach and strategically foster mutually beneficial relationships to support their law enforcement, teaching, and counselling objectives. Further, as a result of their established relationships, SROs are positioned as key sources of support for school administrators.

Identifying and intervening to stop school bullying: the role of school resource officers

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Gabriel R. Paez ◽  
Roddrick Colvin
Keyword(s):  
School Bullying ◽  
School Resource Officers ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Resource Officers ◽  
Gender And Education ◽  
Situational Characteristics ◽  
Using Data ◽  
Critical Components ◽  
Bullying Programs ◽  
School Resource

Purpose The purpose of this study is to explore school resource officers (SROs) and their role in preventing, detecting and intervening in bullying incidents. Design/methodology/approach Using data from 214 survey respondents, the present study attempted to identify the personal and situational characteristics that help to understand when SROs are likely to identify and intervene in bullying incidents. Findings Taking a multivariate logistic regression approach, the results show that SROs – regardless of race, age, gender and education – who can identify instances of bullying are more likely to intervene to stop it. Research limitations/implications The implications of improved training for SROs are discussed, as are ways to enhance the integration of SROs into schools’ overall anti-bullying efforts. Originality/value Bullying and violence in schools have been a growing concern for school districts and SROs are being increasingly seen as critical components of anti-bullying programs.

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