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| Law enforcement Photo by Jenny Hill on Unsplash |
Formerly a special investigations detective with the Bluffton Police Department in Bluffton, South Carolina, Jacob Higgins now serves the Jasper County Sheriff's Office as a detective-sergeant. Throughout his career, Jacob Higgins has earned several professional certifications and awards, including the 2018 Police Officer of the Year. He has also received recognition from the FBI for his work in policing.
According to the federal definition, an SRO is a law enforcement professional deployed by a police department or agency to provide community-oriented policing in one or more schools. The United States Department of Justice estimates that there are 14,000 to 20,000 SROs working in public and private K-12 schools nationwide.
In addition to maintaining a safe learning environment, SROs carry out other roles that many law enforcement officers do not have. The National Association of School Resource Officers states that SRO best practices follow a "triad concept" that has the officer perform policing duties while serving as an educator and informal counselor/mentor for the students and teachers they protect.
Because SROs work with young people in an educational environment, they typically undergo a specialized training that may focus on drug awareness, bullying prevention, juvenile information sharing laws, and adolescent development.
With this specialized training, SROs can benefit schools in many ways. Past studies have shown that SRO programs help prevent property damage and student injuries while reducing juvenile criminal behavior and increasing feelings of safety among students and school staff members.
