The consortium was created to meet the demands for a district-wide training and networking association pertaining to school resource officers. In addition, the consortium will strive to provide a forum for the exchange and coordination of programs, ideas and concepts pertaining to school resource officers and school-based policing. It will also serve to coordinate the efforts of the membership into a cohesive unit, dedicated to the reduction of crime, violence and juvenile delinquency on school campuses throughout the Northern District of Indiana. The association will have regional information sharing events, distribute a resource newsletter and provide SRO-related training when available. More information on each component is located below. Quarterly District Meetings The S.R.O. Consortium of Indiana sponsors quarterly meetings with school resource officers throughout Northern District of Indiana. These meetings generally consist of S.R.O. training, intelligence and information sharing sessions and networking. The meetings are open to federal, state and local law enforcement officers who have a related interest in school safety. The meetings will be announced on the training page of this site. "The Monitor" The School Resource Officer Consortium of Indiana publishes a newsletter pertaining to regional school news, officer safety, youth gangs, SRO training and more. "The Monitor" focuses on the Northern District of Indiana and is available in hard copy to Indiana school resource officers. For previous editions of "The Monitor," click the links below:
S.R.O. Consortium E-Group How many times have you had to get some information in a timely manner about a new drug, new gang, unusual behavior or other SRO-related material? If the answer is more then once, then the SRO E-group is a valuable resource to do so. This E-group is an online e-mail list that keeps Indiana SRO's informed via e-mail of new trends, activities and Consortium news. If you need information on any particular subject matter, from drugs and gangs to effective programs and classroom material, send an e-mail to sro.indiana@usdoj.gov. Your questions or comments will be redirected to all participating E-group SRO's throughout the state. If you have taken photographs of material you would like more information on (such as gang graffiti or clothing, etc), you may also attach these files to your e-mail inquiry. School Incident Information
What a School Resource Officer Program Is A School Resource Officer (SRO) program places law enforcement officers in schools with the goal of creating and maintaining safe, secure, and orderly learning environments for students, teachers, and staff. With such a program, the officer represents much more than "the cop in the shop." An SRO program reflects a community's desire to ensure that its schools are safe, secure, and orderly. SROs represent a proactive strategy designed to bring prevention and intervention into the schools. What School Resource Officers Are SROs are valuable resources for their schools. They are trained to fulfill three roles: they first and foremost are law enforcement officers whose primary purpose is to "keep the peace" in their schools so that students can learn and teachers can teach; secondly they are law-related counselors who provide guidance on law-related issues to students and act as a link to support services both inside and outside the school environment; and thirdly they are law-related education teachers who provide schools with an additional educational resource by sharing their expertise in the classroom. Beyond these identified roles and, perhaps most importantly, SROs are positive role models for many students who are not exposed to such role models in today's society. Their presence in the schools sends a strong message that violence is not acceptable. How SRO Programs Are Conducted School systems and law enforcement agencies typically work collaboratively to carry out SRO programs. On a daily basis, the program depends on the working relationships which exist between the SROs and school principals. By sharing a common vision that schools must be safe and secure for learning to take place, the SROs and principals become members of a team united in making sure that learning environments are free of fear and conducive to learning. The "Promise" of an SRO Program An SRO program is a "promising" strategy because it enables communities and schools to address school violence with both prevention and intervention techniques. Having an SRO on a school campus can prevent problems from happening. It can enhance a school's capacity to address its safety and security concerns. When problems do arise, SROs can intervene quickly to address what is taking place. SROs can contribute to safe school planning efforts and offer their schools a resource to turn to when emergencies occur. Ultimately, the presence of an SRO assists in making the school safer and more secure for students, teachers, and staff. The entire community benefits as well because learning is more likely to take place in such an environment. |
The School Resource Officer Consortium of Indiana, an umbrella program under the District’s "Keeping Our Communities Safe" Initiative, has recently been created to serve Northern Indiana. With the growing number of school resource officers sponsored by local and state agencies in Indiana, an association designed to facilitate the training and networking interests of those officers was greatly needed. 
