SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICER UNIT

School Resource Officers (SROs) improve relationships between the Hampton Police Division and the Staff and students of Hampton City Schools while creating a safe and secure learning environment.

Responsibilities of the School Resource Officer include providing appropriate and effective responses to the problems of school-based juvenile violence, ensuring the safety and security of the public school environment for the students, staff and community, promoting effective communication and positive interaction between police, youth, parents and staff, providing training to peer mediators, and providing guidance to school administrators concerning police involvement when problems arise. The Resource Officer will not be responsible for the day to day discipline of students.

MISSION

• To be available for interaction with students before and after school, during lunch, and/or at other related school activities.
• Provide guidance on school response drills, statutory requirements, and any other legal issues that may arise.
• Provide classroom instruction for students on law enforcement, personal safety, bullying, and gang activity and identification.
• Participate in various school activities. Promote effective communication and interaction between police, students, parents, and staff.
• Provide crime prevention, law enforcement presence, and preservation of peace within the school and all school functions.
• Assist the faculty in any situation involving a criminal violation.
• To provide an appropriate and effective response to all violations of law by making arrests only when necessary and search for alternative solutions to resolve conflicts.

This grant funded program is part of a multi-faceted effort to improve police-youth cooperation and communication in continued support of the Division's community policing efforts. The purpose of the School Resource Officer grant is to provide a police officer to serve as a dedicated resource officer for the Hampton City Public School System.

MISSION

• Improve communication and positive interaction between the police and youth.
• Serve as a resource tool and provide guidance for students, administrators, staff and parents.
• Provide appropriate, effective, and timely responses to school-based violence.
• Provide training to peer mediators.