School Resource Officer Program

The Searcy Police Department currently has two Certified Law Enforcement Officers working as School Resource Officers. These Officers spend their time working with the Searcy Public School District in assisting in providing a safe, healthy, educational environment. The Searcy Police Department SRO program has adopted the "triad" model for School Resource Officers. Our SRO’s have been trained in this approach of school-based policing. The "triad" model consists of teacher, counselor, and Law Enforcement Officer. As the teacher, the SRO can readily translate his experiences and education within the Criminal Justice System into terms that are easily understood by the students. In the classroom, the SRO can relate to students the contents of those law-related education topics which are in line with the current curriculum for each class. This may be the best information on the law that these youths ever obtain.

Using anecdotal information as well as statutory and case law, the SRO can bring to life the rules of society and its sanctions to those children and adolescents in a way that they can understand. Part of this responsibility is to teach the value of our legal system, formulate an awareness of rules, justice and authority, and portray a realistic picture of laws and their enforcement. The title of Counselor can be misleading to those who do not understand what it is SRO does in this area. Being the counselor does not necessarily mean solving the student's problem.

Instead, the SRO is a good listener and has good resources at his disposal so he can direct the student as to where they need to go and allowing the student to look to ways of solving their problems. This is a mentoring approach to student relations. The student relates their issues, the SRO listens, makes suggestions and the student decides, with the support and guidance of the SRO. Finally, the SRO follows up with the student later on to maintain the rapport that was developed and the student sees that the SRO cares and will continue to do so. SRO’s are trained, experienced Law Enforcement Officers who are specifically chosen for the role of SRO for the Searcy Public School District.

SRO’s have a genuine concern and care for the students. The training and experience SRO’s have in formative years as a police officer bodes well for them in the school setting. With a spectrum of criminal and non-criminal activity with which to act upon, he has those tools up front. Legal issues regarding investigation, search, questioning, and a on-campus arrests must be handled carefully and correctly. We see the triad model in the shape of a triangle. Generally it is displayed as "equilateral." This, however, is generally not descriptive of an SRO's daily work. Depending on the events of the day, the angles of the triangle are always changing. Our SRO’s are dedicated to the children of the community, helping to make the Searcy Public School District a safe environment.