NCJ Number
79749
Date Published
1979
Length
117 pages
Annotation
This report evaluates three of several LEAA-funded School Resource Officer (SRO) programs in which law enforcement officers were assigned full time to junior high schools in Hillsborough County, Fla., to prevent juvenile delinquency through educational and counseling activities.
Abstract
The SRO's responsibilities include developing rapport with students, making crime prevention presentations, counseling problem juveniles, and providing law enforcement resource assistance to school personnel, parents, and students. Data were collected on the SRO's activities, and statistics on school related offenses were reviewed to determine if the SRO's presence had reduced crime. Student attitudes toward law enforcement were surveyed, and a questionnaire was administered to selected teachers and law enforcement officers to assess their perceptions of the SRO's efforts. A review of data on the SRO's presentations and contacts with students revealed that the SRO's levels of activity exceeded that anticipated at the onset of the grant. Analysis of offense statistics did not demonstrate that the SRO program reduced crime in the schools. However, student attitudes toward law enforcement improved in SRO schools and deteriorated in the control schools. Differences between teacher and officer responses regarding inappropriate SRO activities raised questions about the project's emphasis. Data collection has been a major problem which continues to hinder the SRO program in documenting its impact on local crime. Recommended actions to improve the SRO program are outlined, such as conducting annual student attitude surveys and soliciting more input from teachers. Instruments used in the evaluation are appended, along with summaries of the responses and four references.