Elementary School Officer Job Description

Elementary school children have become an increasing law enforcement priority.

As communities experiment with ways to socialize children into more positive behavior, the elementary school officer has become an increasingly common presence. Elementary officers must juggle many different roles--from confidant, to psychologist and spokesman--to do their jobs, while operating as the first line of defense for the children they serve. That trend is accompanied by a continual debate about the extent of their power and purpose.

History

The concept of elementary school officers--also known as child safety or school resource officers--is hardly new. Elementary officers' programs have existed since the 1960s, according to National School Safety and Security Services' website (see the School Security link in Resources). Following tragedies like the Columbine school massacre of 1999 and related incidents, communities have been increasingly accepting of law enforcement's presence in the classroom.

Types

Elementary school officers normally come from local or county law enforcement ranks, whose services are regulated through some type of contractual or cooperative agreement, as schoolsecurity.org explains. In other cases, the officers are full-time, in-house personnel who work directly for the districts they serve. Officers also act as security coordinators or directors, making them more of an administrator responsible for enforcing school security and behavioral policies.

Considerations

Influencing attitudes is crucial to a school officer's success.

Above all else, elementary school officers must feel comfortable working around children and school settings, for which additional specialized training is required, according to schoolsecurity.org. Officers must also understand the risk factors for child abuse and neglect, as well as how children think and grow up, indicates a website on child safety (see the link in Resources). Being able to adjust communicative styles and work with different cultures is also important, along with a commitment to positively affect child safety for the better, the child safety website states.

Effects

Law enforcement's presence has become increasingly common at the elementary level over the last decade, as an October 2009 "Public School Review" article noted. Proponents of this approach assert that an early exposure to law enforcement goes a long way toward preventing future criminals. Those included Sheriff P.J. Tanner of Beaufort County, South Carolina, who cited an increase in crime among 11- to 14-year-old juveniles as the rationale for placing officers in local elementary schools. The U.S. Justice Department originally rejected Tanner's $800,000 grant application, but later reversed itself, the article reported.

Misconceptions

School officers focus first on the environment they have to protect.

Lack of understanding about elementary school officer's roles fuels the greatest misconception about their job--namely, that their presence will frighten children and create a prison-like atmosphere. Officers argue that their role has prompted administrators to work more proactively on school security issues, as well as promoting better student relationships. For those reasons, law enforcement professionals don't recommend that school officers work without firearms--which would only increase a district's liability if a tragedy occurred, says schoolsecurity.org.

References

• Public School Review: Cops and Children: Why Police Officers are Stationed at Elementary Schools
• School Security: School Resource Officers, School Police, & School Security Officers
• Child Safety: What Does A Child Safety Officer Do?

Resources

• School Security: Keeping The Peace
• National Association of School Resource Officers
• Child Safety