School Resource Officer

The School Resource Officer Program is a collaborative effort between Law Enforcement Officers and the school district.  The presence of a School Resource Officer is an important step in increasing school safety.

In a School Resource Officer program the members of the school community partner with the local police department to have a uniformed Law Enforcement Officer (SRO) assigned to their school in order to create a setting that is safe and secure, with a focus on prevention and early intervention activities.

The roles and responsibilities of the School Resource Officer vary from school to school.  A diverse range of duties can be incorporated into the SRO job description.  Some functions served by the SRO include:

• Law Enforcement Officer
• Public Safety Specialist
• Community Liaison and Problem Solver
• Law-related Educator
• Positive Role Model.

The Eureka Police School Resource Officer (SRO) Program began in the 1990’s with a grant from the Missouri Department of Public Safety, the Eureka Police Department and the Rockwood School District.  A uniformed police officer was assigned to the Individualized Learning Center and Eureka High School.  Currently the SRO is assigned to Eureka High School full-time.  Eureka Police Department also provides an Elementary School SRO who teaches, Drug Abuse Resistance Education and other life skills topics and visits most schools everyday of the school year.

School Resource Officers become very involved in their schools.  They take pride in becoming part of the school community and building relationships with their students.  These relationships foster a safer environment for the students and provide a source of those students in need of assistance.