WABASH VALLEY (WTHI) – Keeping children safe is a top priority for school resource officers. But last week, an SRO left a gun in a middle school bathroom, raising questions about their training.
In the wake of this incident, News 10 asked law enforcement officers what it takes to become a school resource officer.
The answers vary.
“Indiana is kind of an anomaly when it comes to certified officers,” said Julie Q. Smith, president of the Indiana School Resource Officers Association.
In Indiana, there are three tiers of school resource officer certification.
Tier 1 is the highest tier. School resource officers in this tier are graduates of a 16-week law enforcement academy. Tier 1 certification is the same training that many municipal police officers receive.
If your school district has its own police department, state law requires you to be a first class graduate.
In the Wabash Valley, this includes school systems like Clay Community Schools. Josh Clark is the school district's police chief.
“Our police departments have been successful in police departments that have been able to establish their own policies and establish their own requirements for what they want their officers to do within schools,” Clark said.
There are also Tier 2 and Tier 3 certifications. Her SRO trained in Tier 2 will receive 8 weeks of training, and her Tier 3 personnel will receive 3 weeks of training. Other second-class trained officers include hospital police. Tier 3 trained police officers include correctional officers.
All officers at each level are required to complete 40 hours of school-specific SRO training.
Law enforcement officials note that people without any level of training can become SROs.
A sheriff can appoint someone with special deputy powers if they have received 40 hours or one week of prior basic training. In any case, officials say school officials have full powers as police officers.