School Resource Officer

Sgt. Spain
School Resource Officer
Watervliet City School District
Watervliet Police Department
629-3206
MSPAIN@vliet.neric.org

Welcome to the School Resource Officer (SRO) web page for the Watervliet City School District. The SRO is a police officer with the Watervliet Police Department, and is assigned to work with the school district to promote student safety.

Read Sgt. Spain's Letter to Parents and Guardians.

WHY DO SCHOOLS HAVE A RESOURCE OFFICER?
The concept of having a School Resource Officer (SRO) has been around since the 1950s. The idea is to place a law enforcement officer in a school for three reasons. First, the officer is there to provide a law enforcement presence. By being visible to prevent problems and to be available to handle police related functions, such as crime investigation, the officer provides a safe learning environment.

The second part of the SRO's job is to be a teacher. By working with classroom teachers and other faculty members, the SRO can present information and answer questions on a variety of topics, including the law, drugs, safety, crime prevention, violence prevention, and community awareness of these issues. The third part of the triangle is counseling. Police officers can offer advice, mediation and direction to students, parents and faculty in various matters. As part of this counseling, they can also offer direction to other resources in the community.

SROs have become a valuable part of the school staff and an important link between students, the police and the community. They build a bond between young people and law enforcement that provides understanding from both sides. Students who feel safe become better learners and better citizens.

School Resource Officers are trained members of The National Association of School Resource Officers (N.A.S.R.O.).