{
  "id": "R45251",
  "type": "CRS Report",
  "typeId": "REPORTS",
  "number": "R45251",
  "active": true,
  "source": "EveryCRSReport.com",
  "versions": [
    {
      "source": "EveryCRSReport.com",
      "id": 582740,
      "date": "2018-07-05",
      "retrieved": "2018-07-13T13:05:47.497321",
      "title": "School Resource Officers: Issues for Congress",
      "summary": "The school shootings at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, FL, Great Mills High School in Great Mills, MD, and Santa Fe High School in Santa Fe, TX, have generated renewed interest in what Congress might consider to enhance security at the nation\u2019s schools. School resource officer (SRO) programs have been discussed as a possible strategy for increasing school safety. SROs are sworn law enforcement officers who are assigned to work at a school on a long-term basis. While there are no current figures on the number of SROs in the United States, data indicate that 42% of U.S. public schools reported that they had at least one full-time or part-time SRO present at least once a week during the 2015-2016 school year (SY).\nThere are multiple issues policymakers might consider should Congress take up legislation to promote SRO programs as a solution to school shootings, including the following:\nHow common are at-school homicides? On average, annually, 23 children ages 5-18 were victims of homicide at school from SY1992-1993 to SY2014-2015. There was a general downward trend in the number of school-related homicides of children between these two time periods. Also, to place the number of school-related homicides in context, during SY2014-2015 there were 1,168 homicides of children ages 5-18, of which 20 occurred at schools.\nCan the presence of an SRO at a school prevent a school shooting? Much of the research evaluating the effectiveness of SRO programs has examined their effect on more common crimes and not school shootings, and the findings are mixed. Also potentially illuminating is a recent effort undertaken by the Washington Post that examined school shootings since 1999. It identified 197 incidences of gun violence during and near school hours and uncovered one instance when an SRO killed an active school shooter. Since the Post published its story there have been two other incidents where an SRO intervened during a school shooting. The extent to which the presence of an SRO has prevented a school shooting, however, is unknown.\nWhat effect do SROs have on the school environment? SROs may have varied effects on school environments. While assigning an SRO to a school might serve as a deterrent to a potential school shooter, or provide a quicker law enforcement response in cases where a school shooting occurs, it may also escalate the consequences associated with students\u2019 actions. SROs establish a regular law enforcement presence in schools and there is some concern their presence might result in more children either being suspended or expelled or entering the criminal justice system for relatively minor offenses. There is a limited body of research available regarding the effect SROs have on the school setting. One meta-analysis suggests the presence of SROs is associated with more suspensions and expulsions. Research findings regarding the effect SROs have on student arrests suggest that the presence of SROs might increase the chances that students are arrested for some low-level offenses such as disorderly conduct.\nWhat steps can be taken to maximize the benefits of SRO programs? The Community Oriented Policing Services Office in the Department of Justice has identified several steps that can be taken that might improve outcomes for SRO programs, including developing a comprehensive school safety plan to help assess whether it is necessary to employ an SRO, being aware of potential pitfalls before agreeing to establish an SRO program, and selecting officers who are likely to succeed in a school environment and properly training those officers.",
      "type": "CRS Report",
      "typeId": "REPORTS",
      "active": true,
      "formats": [
        {
          "format": "HTML",
          "encoding": "utf-8",
          "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/R45251",
          "sha1": "02dd2bd7b41bda21f7ed6feed8a8db7ebe0b91bd",
          "filename": "files/20180705_R45251_02dd2bd7b41bda21f7ed6feed8a8db7ebe0b91bd.html",
          "images": {
            "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R45251_files&id=/0.png": "files/20180705_R45251_images_defec78a8487d353887c104d803eb5b4653517ee.png"
          }
        },
        {
          "format": "PDF",
          "encoding": null,
          "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/pdf/R45251",
          "sha1": "db5492370a04c7e3b39f27ce52416d229a0ac17d",
          "filename": "files/20180705_R45251_db5492370a04c7e3b39f27ce52416d229a0ac17d.pdf",
          "images": {}
        }
      ],
      "topics": [
        {
          "source": "IBCList",
          "id": 4850,
          "name": "Criminal Justice"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "topics": [
    "Crime Policy",
    "Education Policy"
  ]
}