SRO ~ School Resource Officers

With school based policing being the fastest growing area of law enforcement Ascension Parish Sheriff’s Office takes great pride in being one of the first law enforcement agencies in the state to have officers assigned to our community schools.

Through the SRO program a wide array of services and assistance is available to the schools, parents and students of Ascension Parish.

The SRO program began in the fall semester of 1999 on a trial basis with officers assigned to 4 schools:

St. Amant High
East Ascension High
Donaldsonville High
Lowery Middle
Marchand Alternative School

School Resource Officers serve as comprehensive resources in the schools to which they are assigned, but what is a School Resource Officer?

An SRO 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.

Officer Coy Daigle

The SRO is not necessarily a DARE officer (although many have received such training), nor a security guard, but rather acts as a comprehensive resource for his/her school.

By training law enforcement officers to educate, counsel and protect our school communities, the men and women of Ascension Parish Sheriff’s Office assigned to the SRO program continue to lead by example and promote a positive image of law enforcement to the youth of our community. Currently the Ascension Parish Sheriff’s Office has 5 School Resource Officers assigned to the program.

Email - Lt.Kyle Hanna

DUTIES OF THE SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICERS:

To prevent delinquency through close contact with students and school personnel.
To establish liaison with school principals, faculty, and students.
To establish and maintain liaison between school personnel and other officers working on school campuses.
To inform the students of their rights and responsibilities as lawful citizens.
To provide liaison between students and social agencies which provide needed services.
To act as a liaison resource to the principal in investigating criminal law violations occurring in the school or on school property.
To assist administration and faculty in formulating criminal justice programs.
To formulate educational crime prevention programs to reduce the opportunity for crimes against persons and property in the schools.
To participate in the Parent-Teacher-Student Association meetings as requested.
To participate in campus activities, student organizations, and athletic events when invited and feasible.
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.