Guiding Principles for School Resource Officer Programs

Office of Community Oriented Policing Services

Keeping students safe is crucial to their development 

and success in school and a top priority for the U.S. 

Department of Justice (DOJ), Office of Community 

Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office). The principles in this document are offered as a guide to those 

jurisdictions that have opted to implement a school 

resource officer (SRO) program to ensure that the 

presence of law enforcement in schools is as beneficial as possible and to avoid harmful impacts on 

students and the learning environment. 

These principles should not limit communities in 

their consideration of the range of programs and 

interventions that can help improve safety on school 

campuses. Implementing an SRO program is a local 

decision, and communities should consider the range 

of options available that best fit their needs. We also 

encourage communities to reach out to the COPS 

Office directly for any additional assistance with operationalizing these guiding principles.

A copy of the fully articulated guiding principles 

can be found at 

https://cops.usdoj.gov/supportingsafeschools.

Guiding Principles

1. Local decision-making Operating an SRO program is a 

local decision that should be made with significant community input.

2. Memorandum of understanding (MOU) Law enforcement 

agencies should have a fully executed MOU with the 

school district(s) where SROs are assigned.

3. School discipline SROs should not be involved in school 

disciplinary incidents that would normally be handled by 

teachers, administrators, and other school staff.

4. Judicious use of law enforcement powers SROs should 

detain, arrest, or use force only as a last resort.

5. Specialized hiring processes Law enforcement agencies 

should have a collaborative selection process for SROs that 

includes specialized qualifications and traits.

6. Tailored performance evaluation and supervision Law enforcement agencies should develop systems of evaluation 

and supervision for SROs that are tailored to their duties 

and expectations.

7. Development of transparent data and tracking system Law 

enforcement agencies should develop systems to track 

SRO duties and activities that are as transparent to stakeholders as the law allows.

8. Specialized training Law enforcement agencies should 

ensure that SROs receive specialized training that is unique 

to their role in promoting school safety and distinguishes SRO 

duties from the duties of general law enforcement officers. 

School staff should be trained in the operations of SROs 

and the SRO program.

9. Student and family engagement Law enforcement 

agencies and school districts should regularly engage in 

outreach to students, families, and school staff to solicit 

feedback and collectively problem-solve to address student 

or community concerns.

10. Annual program assessment SRO programs should be 

reviewed no less than annually to ensure that they are 

meeting expectations.

11. Duty assignments When possible, SROs should have fixed 

duty assignments with one or a limited number of schools.

12. Community of practice and professional support Law enforcement agencies should provide SROs with opportunities to interact with peers and national networks. 

These guiding principles may change as we continue to 

increase our understanding of how best to use SROs and 

other school-based law enforcement to improve school 

safety and security and avoid any potential harmful effects 

arising from these roles. We also encourage communities 

to reach out to the COPS Office directly for any additional 

assistance with operationalizing these guiding principles. 

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