The SRO has three main duties:
The Law Enforcement Officer
In addition to their daily duties, SRO’s
are responsible for providing security at most all school athletic events. On certain occasions, the SRO will travel with a team to
another school as an escort.
The Law Related Teacher
The Law Related Counselor
The SRO is the go-to person, for students,
parents, and faculty, to ask questions about the law. SRO’s are also requested on certain occasions to counsel a student who has displayed
a change in attitude or outlook. Students who disclose family issues to the SRO are also counseled. In many cases, it becomes the
SRO’s responsibility to contact the proper authority, such as the Department of Social Services, or a Sheriff’s Office investigator,
if the matter requires such.
The School Resource Officer (SRO) program was developed to address juvenile crime and safety concerns in our local schools. The SRO
program places a Deputy Sheriff in JET and Merriweather Middle Schools and at Strom Thurmond High School with the goal of creating
and maintaining a safe, secure, and orderly learning environment for students, teachers, and staff. The SRO program reflects
the community’s desire to ensure that our schools are safe and secure. SRO’s represent a proactive strategy designed to bring
prevention and intervention into the schools.
An Edgefield County Sheriff’s Office SRO is on campus daily at Strom Thurmond High School throughout the school year. The presence
of a uniformed deputy provides a deterrent to criminal activity by discouraging unwanted and undesirable visitors on the school grounds
or in the surrounding area.
The SRO is responsible for responding to and investigating any crime on school grounds grounds is covered under the Laws and Statutes of the State of South Carolina. The crimes could be fights, thefts, vandalism, assaults, drugs, and more. The SRO must attend juvenile and adult courts related to the crimes committed. The SRO provides support and training for faculty and staff on issues of juvenile law, substance abuse and school safety.
The SRO visits classrooms and instructs students on juvenile and adult laws. During Red Ribbon and Prom weeks, the SRO provided
programs related to drinking and driving, minors and alcohol, and the reality of vehicle accidents.
