School resource officers discuss school safety amid shootings
Hundreds of school resource officers get together to demonstrate school safety amid a rise in shootings. The National Association of School Resource Officers met during an annual conference this week. The conference drew close to 1,500 people in attendance.
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UPDATED 2:00 PM PT – Thursday, July 7, 2022
Hundreds of school resource officers got together to demonstrate school safety amid a rise in shootings. The National Association of School Resource Officers met during an annual conference this week. The conference drew close to 1,500 people in attendance.
NASRO Instructors Rob Reyngoudt and Jim Larson teaching the NASRO Basic SRO Course during the 32nd NASRO National School Safety Conference in Aurora, Colorado.
The conference is being held in conjunction with Colorado Association of School Resource Officers (CASRO) pic.twitter.com/P0WQN9xOoS
— NASRO (@NASRO_Info) July 6, 2022
The convention showcased the latest in school safety technology ranging from bulletproof vests and tactical gear among other items.
“Sometimes there’s this view that school resource officers are just sitting around waiting on something to happen,” Chase Lyday, Chief of Police for the Avon School Police Department said. “The essence of what an SRO does is finding kids and building relationships with them.”
NASRO is honored to recognize Chief Chase Lyday of the Avon School Police Department (Indiana) as this year's recipient of the Joe Harries Memorial Instructor of the Year Award. pic.twitter.com/p9jGdIaXQV
— NASRO (@NASRO_Info) July 7, 2022
The renewed call to focus on school security comes amid the shooting at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas that left 19 students and two teachers dead.
The National Association of School Resource Officers recommended that every school have “at least one carefully selected, specially trained school resource officer.” The association has also recommended schools have at least one SRO for every 1,000 students.
“Thousands of young people’s lives are at risk,” stated Delaware County prosecutor, Eric Hoffman. “That to me is unacceptable. In this day and age, our priority should be to protect.”
Hoffman voiced that he is concerned about preventing school shootings. He said most elementary schools do not have their own SRO in Indiana.
“The disturbing fact is that they’re happening in elementary schools and we can’t turn a blind eye to it,” Hoffman voiced. “If you don’t have school security it should be number one on your list. If you don’t have it, you have nothing. You don’t have a safe environment.”
DEA is proud to be at the 2022 National Association of School Resource Officers (NASRO) conference in Denver, Colorado. @NASRO_Info @DEADENVERDiv pic.twitter.com/rXD6Xxyosi
— DEA HQ (@DEAHQ) July 6, 2022
During the conference, a parent who lost her child in a school shooting said there really isn’t one solution and everyone has to come together to address the matter.