The Manchester-by-the-Sea Police Department, Essex Police Department, and Manchester Essex Regional Public School District have joined forces to appoint a police officer as a liaison within the schools. This specially trained officer is a School Resource Officer (SRO). The primary role of the SRO is to enhance school security while providing law enforcement education and counseling. SROs serve as a resource for teachers, parents, and students, offering guidance on legal issues.
The responsibilities of an SRO in a school context include:
Acting as a teacher, counselor, role model, and advocate for students, families, faculty, and staff. The SRO is not a school disciplinarian and does not replace any other staff role. Instead, the SRO offers full-service, personalized support to an important segment of the community and is easily recognizable and approachable within the school.
The work of the SRO is built on three main pillars:
- Security: Supporting the ongoing need for active and regularly updated safety and crisis management plans.
- Education: Collaborating with faculty and staff to promote student education on topics such as drug and alcohol abuse, domestic violence, harassment, and their related consequences.
- Specialized Counseling: Offering support to students and working with school personnel to create a trusting, relationship-based environment where students feel comfortable asking questions and seeking help with issues related to school, home, and the broader community.
Key responsibilities include:
- Serving as the liaison between the police department and the schools as needed.
- Building relationships with faculty, staff, students, and families to prevent behaviors that compromise a safe and healthy learning environment.
- Being visible, proactive, available, and professional within the school community during interactions with students and families.
- Establishing and maintaining a close partnership with school administrators and other personnel to enhance school safety.
- Assisting with security, safety, and crisis planning for the schools and their grounds.
- Serving as a positive role model for students.
- Deterring misconduct through prevention and intervention strategies.
- Supporting faculty and staff with classroom activities that address various crisis and preventative educational issues.
- Providing education and prevention interventions related to alcohol, tobacco, vaping, and other drugs.
- Contributing to a culture that fosters a safe learning environment in our schools.
- Offering training to teachers and staff.
- Acting as a resource for parents.
- Assisting school personnel in making appropriate referrals to service agencies when necessary.