The School Resource Officer (SRO) is a dedicated position within our Police Service. There are two Divisional School Resource Officers in each of our three main Divisions : Waterloo, Kitchener and Cambridge. Each officer is assigned particular high schools and some feeder schools that they will visit on scheduled days from Monday to Friday. The majority of the Officers’ hours will be spent at their schools with a goal of facilitating crime prevention and fostering positive relationships between the police and youth. The Divisional SRO’s are assisted by two Headquarters SRO’s, who can provide them with teaching materials and any other information or back up required.
Crime prevention can be achieved through education, mentoring, counselling and advising students on police-related matters. Crime prevention can also be achieved through the SRO's participation in extra-curricular activities, parent council meetings, neighbourhood meetings and by liaising with the teachers, support staff, administrators and the school board.
The School Resource Officer shall also be responsible for patrolling the school, property and nearby locations where students congregate. They will also liaise with businesses and communities directly affected by school day operations to minimize student disruption and enhance relationships. School Resource Officers shall take on minor investigations, arrest offenders, prepare cases for court and share gathered intelligence with appropriate police units.
Major Responsibilities:
The overall major duties of the School Resource Officer can be broken down into three required areas:
* Provide a positive role-model and mentor for youth and promote positive interaction between youth, the police and the school’s neighbours.
* Educate and counsel youth and their families on law related matters through classroom lessons, school presentations, individual counselling and parent meetings.
* Enforce the Law by responding to calls at the schools and taking on pro-active initiatives as well as gathering intelligence information and forwarding it to the Intelligence Branch.
The School Resource Officer is not a school disciplinarian. Disciplining students is the schools’ responsibility and only when the school administrators believe an incident is criminal and they request police involvement as per the Protocol, shall the SRO take action.
"Children and youth are our most valuable resource, and long-lasting crime prevention begins with them."- WRPS core value
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