Arkansas Code of 1987 (2023) › Title 6 - EDUCATION (§§ 6-1-101 — 6-87-104) › Subtitle 2 - ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION GENERALLY (§§ 6-10-101 — 6-28-206) › Chapter 10 - GENERAL PROVISIONS (§§ 6-10-101 — 6-10-139) › Section 6-10-128 - School resource officers

(a)
A school district board of directors may accept from a local law enforcement agency with jurisdiction a school resource officer to assist with school security, safety, emergency preparedness, emergency response, or any other responsibility assigned to the school resource officer by the school or law enforcement agency.
(b)
A school resource officer shall be a certified law enforcement officer and shall have statewide jurisdiction as described under §
16-81-118
.
(c)
(1)
A school district board of directors that accepts a school resource officer shall enter into a memorandum of understanding with the local law enforcement agency with jurisdiction, or adopt policies and procedures if the school district has an institutional law enforcement officer as described by §
6-13-1701
et seq., that governs the school resource officer and includes without limitation:
(A)
The financial responsibilities of each party;
(B)
The chain of command;
(C)
The process for the selection of school resource officers;
(D)
The process for the evaluation of school resource officers;
(E)
The training requirements for school resource officers; and
(F)
The roles and responsibilities of school resource officers, which shall include without limitation:
(i)
Clarification of the school resource officer's involvement in student discipline;
(ii)
The use of physical restraints or chemical sprays;
(iii)
The use of firearms; and
(iv)
Making arrests on the public school campus.
(2)
The memorandum of understanding required under subdivision (c)(1) of this section shall be based on a model memorandum created by the Division of Elementary and Secondary Education and the Arkansas Center for School Safety of the Criminal Justice Institute, which shall include without limitation the requirements listed in subdivision (c)(1) of this section.
(3)
The Division of Elementary and Secondary Education shall promulgate rules specifying how the adoption of a memorandum of understanding or policies and procedures shall be verified.
(d)
(1)
Sworn, nonsupervisory law enforcement personnel, including without limitation school resource officers, who are assigned to a public school campus during the instructional day or employed by a public school district shall:
(A)
Within eighteen (18) months of being assigned or employed by the public school district:
(i)
(a)
Complete a forty-hour basic school resource officer training program developed and provided, or approved, by the Arkansas Center for School Safety of the Criminal Justice Institute.
(b)
The training required under subdivision (d)(1)(A)(i)
(a)
of this section shall include without limitation:
(1)
The roles and responsibilities of school resource officers in public schools;
(2)
Laws that are specific to public schools and students in public schools; and
(3)
Adolescent behavior and development; and
(ii)
(a)
Attend a training in youth mental health as required by the State Board of Education.
(b)
The youth mental health training required under subdivision (d)(1)(A)(ii)
(a)
of this section shall be obtained every four (4) years if the school resource officer remains assigned to or employed by a public school district;
(B)
(i)
Within five (5) years after receiving the initial basic school resource officer training program, complete a sixteen-hour school resource officer refresher training developed and provided, or approved, by the Arkansas Center for School Safety of the Criminal Justice Institute.
(ii)
The school resource officer refresher training required under subdivision (d)(1)(B)(i) of this section shall be completed every five (5) years; and
(C)
(i)
Annually complete twelve (12) hours of public school-specific continuing education developed and provided, or approved, by the Arkansas Center for School Safety of the Criminal Justice Institute.
(ii)
The youth mental health training required under subdivision (d)(1)(A)(ii) of this section and the school resource officer refresher training required under subdivision (d)(1)(B) of this section shall count towards the twelve (12) hours of public school-specific continuing education required under subdivision (d)(1)(C)(i) of this section in the years during which the youth mental health and school resource officer refresher trainings are completed.
(2)
A school resource officer who is assigned by a public school for only extracurricular activities is exempt from the training requirements under subdivision (d)(1) of this section.
(e)
(1)
A public school district superintendent and public school principal who accept a school resource officer or employ an institutional law enforcement officer as defined by §
6-13-1701
shall complete a one-hour school resource officer roles and responsibilities training developed and provided, or approved, by the Arkansas Center for School Safety of the Criminal Justice Institute within nine (9) months of accepting or employing the school resource officer.
(2)
Public school district personnel directly responsible for supervising a school resource officer shall complete a one-hour school resource officer roles and responsibilities training developed and provided, or approved, by the Arkansas Center for School Safety of the Criminal Justice Institute within one (1) year of accepting or employing the school resource officer and every two (2) years thereafter.
(3)
Training received by a licensed educator under subdivisions (e)(1) and (2) of this section may count towards the professional development required for renewal of an educator's license by the Division of Elementary and Secondary Education Rules Governing Professional Development.
(f)
(1)
The Arkansas Center for School Safety of the Criminal Justice Institute shall monitor compliance with the continuing education and training requirements under this section.
(2)
A school resource officer who fails to complete any training required under this section shall be unable to serve as a school resource officer until the training required under this section is complete.
(3)
A school resource officer shall not be assigned to a public school district or a public school in which the public school district superintendent or public school principal has not completed the training required under this section.
Amended by Act 2023, No. 237,§ 2, eff. 3/8/2023.
Amended by Act 2021, No. 622,§ 1, eff. 7/28/2021.
Amended by Act 2021, No. 551,§ 1, eff. 7/28/2021.
Added by Act 2015, No. 1179,§ 1, eff. 7/22/2015.