The School Resource Officer (SRO) program within the Southern Lehigh School District is a joint venture between the School District and the Upper Saucon Police Department.
The concept of having a School Resource Officer (SRO) has been around since the 1950s. The idea is to place a law enforcement officer in a school for three reasons.
First, the officer is there to provide a law enforcement presence. By being visible to prevent problems and to be available to handle police related functions, such as crime investigation, the officer provides a safe learning environment. The second part of the SRO's job is to be a teacher. By working with classroom teachers and other faculty members the SRO can present information and answer questions on a variety of topics including the law, drugs, safety, crime prevention, violence prevention and community awareness of these issues. The third part of the triangle is counseling. Police officers can offer advice, mediation and direction to students, parents and faculty in various matters. As part of this counseling, they can also offer direction to other resources in the community.
School Resource Officers have become a valuable part of the school staff and an important link between students, the police and the community. They build a bond between young people and law enforcement that provides understanding from both sides. Students who feel safe become better learners and better citizens.
The program's emphasis is on:
Developing a rapport with students, parents, and school personnel
Presenting information on various crime prevention and safety topics
Providing law enforcement resource assistance
Identifying and counseling problem youth
Diverting problem youth from the juvenile justice system
School Building Security & Safety
In an effort to make our schools safe we ask all parents/visitors to:
Enter building through the designated front door
Sign in at the office or front desk
Obtain a visitor pass
Sign out and hand in the visitor pass when leaving
Park in lots & avoid leaving vehicles in the fire lane
