School Resource Officers
Mentoring, education, and a safe learning environment in every DeSoto County school we serve.
Our Mission
School Resource Officers provide a safe learning environment by building and maintaining relationships with students through mentoring and education. The SRO program is the Sheriff's Office presence inside the schools we serve — an everyday point of contact for students, staff, and families.
Key Responsibilities
- Protect students, staff, and the school campus
- Educate students on law enforcement, decision-making, and life skills
- Mentor and build positive relationships with students
- Serve as the primary law-enforcement liaison to school administration
- Investigate criminal incidents that occur on school grounds
- Support school emergency planning, drills, and active-threat preparedness
Day in the Life
An SRO is in school before the first bell and stays through dismissal. The day moves between hallway presence, classroom visits, lunchroom interactions, and one-on-one conversations with students. SROs are coaches, mentors, mediators, and the calm professional response when something serious happens on campus.
The work is consistent and relationship-driven. SROs build trust over years — with students who watch them every day and with families who learn they can count on the Sheriff's Office at their child's school.
Training & Certification
- NASRO (National Association of School Resource Officers) certification
- ALERRT (Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training) active-threat certification
- SWAT and Crisis Response tactics for high-risk on-campus events
- Mental health and crisis-intervention training
- Adolescent development and trauma-informed practices
- De-escalation and conflict-resolution skills
- Investigative training applicable to juvenile and school-based offenses
Why SRO?
If you want to invest in kids and shape a generation's view of law enforcement, this is the assignment. SROs are role models, problem-solvers, and the first professional law-enforcement contact most students will ever have. The work is long-term, the relationships are real, and the impact lasts.
Interested in Serving in Schools?
SRO positions are filled from within. Apply as a Deputy Sheriff, gain Patrol experience, and grow into a school assignment.
View Deputy Sheriff Careers