Saturday May 25th 2013

School Resource Officers

"Communities throughout the nation recognize that trained, sworn law enforcement officers assigned to schools make a difference". (U. S. Department of Justice)

Kentucky statutes define a SRO as a sworn law enforcement officer who has specialized training to work with youth at a school site. These SROs serve in a variety of roles, including law enforcement officer, law-related educator, problem-solver, and community liaison.

There are approximately 230 SRO's in over half of Kentucky's counties. For more information contact Lee Ann Morrison at the Kentucky Center for School Safety.


SROs are so much a part of the school, somethings they are used in academic campaigns such as Chelsea Huntsman in this "READ Poster" for Greenwood High in Warren County.

School Resource Officer Trainings & Conferences

SRO training is offered by the Department of Criminal Justice and a schedule of courses is available on an annual basis. In addition, the National Association of School Resource Officers provides training and sponsors an annual conference.

KYASRO Video

Watch the informational KYASRO video created by DOCJT:
Protecting Our Most Valuable Resource

COPS Office Hiring Grants are Released

New! COPS Office Hiring Grants are Released

The U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office, www.cops.usdoj.gov) is pleased to announce that it is seeking applications for funding for the COPS FY2013 Community Policing Development Program. This program furthers the department's mission of advancing public safety through community policing by addressing the department's goal of assisting state, local, and tribal efforts to prevent or reduce crime and violence. Opening date: April 23, 2013

Applications must be submitted via the COPS Office Online Application System by 5:00 PM, EDT, on May 24, 2013 to be considered for FY 2013 CPD funding

For More Information

For a sample MOA/MOU: http://www.kysafeschools.org/pdfs-docs/lawpdf/sromoa.doc

School Resource Office Scholarships and Awards

PRESS RELEASE

The Kentucky Association of School Resource Officers (KYASRO) is pleased to announce the recipients of several awards to be presented during the Safe Schools and Communities Conference. The conference will be in Louisville at the Marriott East on June 10-12
The awards and recipients are:

SRO of the Year: Officer Vernon Brown – Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office/Western High Schol

Administrator(s) of the Year – Steve Butcher, Supt.-Pulaski County Schools; Kent Jackson Parrent, Asst. Principal – Christian County Schools/Christian County High School

Rookie of the Year – Officer Kent Keen-Barren County Sheriff’s Office/Barren County Schools

Award of Merit – Officer Jeff May – Grayson Police Department/East Carter High School

KYASRO 2012 Award Winners:
  • President’s Award: Chief Norm Mayer – St. Matthews Police Department
  • Rookie of the Year: Officer Mark Branham – Alexandria Police Department
  • School Administrator of the Year: Boyd Randolph – Somerset Independent Schools
  • SRO of the Year: Officer Joe Saunier – Lawrenceburg Police Department
  • Award of Merit: Officer Gary Linn and students Matthew Shrock and Jacob Rauckhorst
  • James Sticklen Memorial Scholarship: Hannah Spanyer – Jessamine County Schools
  • James Sticklen Memorial Scholarship: Morgan Culver – Middlesboro Independent Schools

School Resource Officer Annual Report

The current SRO Annual Report was published in April, 2012. In the spring of 2012, researchers from the Kentucky Center for School Safety (KCSS) conducted a panel study examining the attributes of School Resource Officers throughout the state of Kentucky. Valuable information can be gleaned from within this 35 page report on current trends, practices and funding levels.

Kentucky Association of School Resource Officers

The Kentucky Association of School Resource Officers has a Board of Directors consisting of fifteen members to direct that organization.

KYASRO Regional Map

The KYASRO Regional Map is divided into six regions. These regions are used for training and networking purposes.

School Resource Officer Resources

The Kentucky Association of School Resource Officers is a professional organization with the goal of furthering the education, awareness and professionalism of SROs in the State of Kentucky in order to make schools a safe and secure learning environment for children.

Kentucky Revised Statute 158.441 requires that the local law enforcement agency and schools have a written contract. A model SRO contract has been developed and can be modified to meet the needs of individual districts and agencies. You may obtain a copy of this template from KCSS.

THE IMPORTANCE OF SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICERS (a brief highlighting the positive impact of SROs authored by The Institute for Preventive Strategies) School Resource Officers (SRO’s) play a very important role in the safety of our schools. Collaboration between schools and law enforcement is a major step to increasing school security and preventing acts of terrorism or violence within schools. The Institute for Preventive Strategies is a national service of the Center for Rural Development, a not-for-profit organization headquartered in Somerset Kentucky.

Model SRO programs across the state that can provide important advice and information for new or fledgling program. The Center has developed a set of standards for SRO programs which can be used to assess the quality of the programs.

Article: School Resource Officers: A Vital Part of School Safety

Crime Prevention Month

October is Crime Prevention Month, a perfect time to Celebrate Safe Communities (CSC). Celebrate Safe Communities is a national initiative of the National Crime Prevention Council and the U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance, and was developed in partnership with the National Sheriffs’ Association in 2008. CSC is an annual event.