Captain Charles Gardner
(919) 545-8129

A school resource officer is a certified law enforcement officer who is permanently assigned to provide coverage to a school or a set of schools. The SRO is specifically trained to perform three roles: law enforcement officer; law-related counselor; and law-related education teacher. The SRO is not necessarily a DARE officer (although many have received such training), security guard, or officer who has been placed temporarily in a school in response to a crisis situation but rather acts as a comprehensive resource for his/her school.

Overview

SROs provide information and advice to students concerning subjects about which they have expertise. They are familiar, for example, with the workings of the juvenile court system and can provide guidance about processes and services. They can offer suggestions about programs that might be available. As law-related education teachers, SROs draw upon their expertise about the law. As with the counseling role, SROs are not replacements for teachers; rather they provide an additional resource, which can be drawn upon to teach young people about the law. . They can enhance teachers’ efforts to educate students about rights and responsibilities. They can make clear that responsibilities are associated with the rights we all enjoy as citizens living in this democracy.

Duties of the School Resource Officer

1. To prevent juvenile delinquency through close contact with students and school personnel.
2. To establish liaison with school principals, faculty, and students.
3. To establish and maintain communications with other SRO’s in the school system to bring about a countywide approach.
4. To inform the students of their rights and responsibilities as lawful citizens.
5. To provide liaison between students and social agencies which provide needed services.
6. To act as a liaison resource to the principal in investigating criminal violations occurring in the school or on school property.
7. To assist the administration and faculty in formulating criminal justice programs.
8. To formulate educational crime prevention programs to reduce the opportunity for crimes against persons and property in the schools.
9. To participate in the Parent-Teacher-Student Association meetings as requested.
10. To participate in campus activities, student organizations, and athletic events when invited and feasible.
11. To be aware at all times of the responsibility to improve the image of the uniformed law enforcement officer in the eyes of the students and the community.
    

This section allows parents and students to speak with the SRO serving them. The Chatham Sheriff's Office hopes that students will use this service to promote better communication between the two. We hope that students will use this service to provide information on concerns and/or criminal activity in the school environment. Because the email may have a delayed response time, please contact 9-1-1 if you have an emergency.