Opinion

Our Turn: SROs and the impact of policing in schools

Our Turn: SROs and the impact of policing in schools

According to the New Hampshire Department of Safety, SROs are “school-based law enforcement officers” who endeavor to “build trust” with “the student body, reduce school safety issues, and promote perceptions of safety.” The National Association of School Resource Officers (NASRO) advocates for SROs to fulfill a “triad” role encompassing three primary functions: educator, informal counselor and law enforcer. But SROs are police officers whose predominant training is “paramilitary in nature.” They are not trained child counselors or educators.