Schools in the U.S. have never had as much protection and police presence in our nation’s history as they do today. The unfortunate scourge of fanatical shooters targeting our schools and committing mass murder has been the primary driver of an enhanced and proactive police presence. Our nation’s school resource officers (SROs) are often the frontline guardians when critical events happen.

The idea of placing police officers in schools isn’t entirely new. In 1953, the Flint, Michigan, Police Department became the first agency to place an officer in a school on a full-time basis. The Fresno, California, Police Department embedded a plainclothes officer in its schools as far back as 1968. Today, SROs are in 42% of all schools across the country, totaling about 23,500 officers from local police departments, sheriff’s departments and school district police agencies.

In April 1999, our nation was rocked by the unprecedented attack at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado. The shockwaves from the incident are still felt today as parents, school officials, politicians and law enforcement agencies grapple with preparing for potential future situations.

Perhaps our rawest emotions surfaced after the May 2022 mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. Law enforcement received a black eye for reasons ranging from lack of immediate action to poor tactics. Today, many within our ranks view the incident in Uvalde as an example of how not to respond to such events.

SROs are some of the most dedicated officers serving their communities. While their daily tasks may vary greatly from those of their brethren on patrol, their significance in maintaining peace is no less important. School districts have come to rely on their SROs for timely responses to incidents ranging from minor medical issues to horrifically violent events. For a majority of young people, their interaction with an SRO will be their first encounter with law enforcement. SROs are well aware that their actions and words are being carefully scrutinized, and thus they strive to set a positive example for the students they protect and serve.

It takes a special officer with immense patience, commitment and a passion for working with young people to do the job and thrive within it.

In addition to law enforcement and security tasks, SROs are often DARE instructors or provide lectures on various police-related topics. Moreover, these officers are often liaisons between law enforcement and juvenile authorities. Their duties can fluctuate from emergency first responses to routinely walking the halls of their respective school buildings and checking in on students, teachers and administrators. Most SROs are generalists — they are educators, mentors, role models, security specialists, law enforcers, community liaisons and frontline medical responders.

While we are quick to hear about SRO failures, there have been far more SRO success stories; unfortunately, they rarely make national news like the stories we see with school shootings. For instance, in February 2022, a Scott County, Iowa, SRO was able to determine a student was suicidal and intervened in an active suicide attempt at the student’s home by administering naloxone and getting him medical attention immediately. A Vernal, Utah, SRO acted quickly and was able to stop a potential school shooting incident before it could begin by taking the student suspect into custody. In September 2024, an Oklahoma County, Oklahoma, SRO applied a tourniquet to a student with a life-threatening arterial laceration, saving the student’s life. These are rarely prominently in the headlines or what we see flash across our TV screens. At best, they may get a mention on page 10, nestled between an op-ed and an advertisement for a local furniture store.

These are just a few examples of the heroic actions taken by our nation’s SROs. Though they are not often the lead story, they are indelibly part of the proud history of our dedicated SROs.

SROs, much like their brothers and sisters on patrol, can be the subject of criticism as well. Too often, SROs are lambasted by critics (sometimes even within their own respective agencies) as “retired on duty,” lazy or not able to cut it on the streets. This is wholly unfair and certainly not true in the vast majority of cases. Most SROs have thousands of hours of training in specialized areas that make them invaluable to the schools they protect, the communities they represent and the departments in which they’re members. Most SROs have attended multiple active shooter courses and critical event management training, making many of them extremely competent in handling these types of incidents.

Most SROs chose to be in the positions they are presently in. These officers want to have constructive interactions with young people, protect their community’s schools and be a positive influence for students. They want to help keep drugs out of the hands of kids, offer guidance and support for young people with problems, and provide a safe environment for students and teachers alike.

Officer Steve Huggins, an SRO in a modest-sized Missouri school district, has been working in the school system for nearly 30 years. He has seen a lot of changes through the decades and admits that some things remain the same. He states, “I believe the core responsibilities of students and staff safety and security haven’t really changed. If anything, we’ve worked to improve those responsibilities by making the campus, students and staff safer and secure.”

Huggins also says it takes a special person to do the job. He explains, “It requires much patience at times and the ability to truly relate to the kids on their level, have empathy, sympathy and compassion.”

Thanks to dedicated SROs like Huggins, the vast majority of our country’s schools enjoy a level of security that all communities want to have. We should appreciate the work they do and strive to nurture and encourage officers within our organization who would likely do well in a school setting to take up this noble task. It takes a special officer with immense patience, commitment and a passion for working with young people to do the job and thrive within it.