The Use of School Resource Officers in High Schools

This paper examines the potential functions of school resource officers (SROs) in high schools. It investigates various models of SROs currently in place in order to inform the Hanover School Administrative Unit-70 (SAU-70) and the Hanover Police Department on the options for implementing an SRO in the school district. Background information on what an SRO is and their relationships within host communities are presented. This is followed by multiple case studies of towns similar to SAU-70. The case examples are examined for best practice models and lessons learned. In addition, the advantages and disadvantages of these cases are discussed. Finally, three implementation options for Hanover are presented, including a mentor-based program, a cost-sharing approach, and SRO training. The report concludes with a discussion of areas for future research.