Good Morning Hoopeston Area Families,
The Hoopeston Area CUSD #11 Board of Education approved a contract with the City of Hoopeston for a School Resource Officer for this school year. A School Resource Officer is in the District buildings currently.
The Role of a School Resource Officer
A School Resource Officer (SRO) is often asked the question: What do you do all day?
SRO Cade will play a diverse role in the school and community with many duties and
responsibilities. A School Resource Officer is a sworn officer assigned to a school on a long-term basis trained to perform three major roles: law enforcement officer; law-related counselor; and law-related educator. In addition, the officer works in collaboration with the school and the community as a resource for safety and security issues.
As a law enforcement officer, the school becomes the officer’s patrol. SRO Cade will assist
school administration in maintaining a safe and secure environment. Hoopeston Area School
administrators will benefit from SRO Cade’s training, knowledge, and experience in handling
situations. He provides a highly visible presence to deter or identify trespassers on campus. In
addition, he provides a service to the surrounding community by addressing concerns such as loitering, stop signs or speeding in school zones.
School Resource Officers are responsible for investigating violations of criminal law. SRO Cade’s sworn duty to enforce the law does not contradict the need for him to be a positive role model, but rather supports it. SRO Cade providing high moral standards, with good use of judgment and discretion provides students with the ability to learn what a professional police officer does. SRO Cade is not a school disciplinarian. He will not be involved in investigating school rule violations such as a student cheating on a test. Violations of school rules will still be the responsibility of Hoopeston Area administrators.
The role of law-related counselor is something SRO Cade is very accustomed to. Police officers conduct street level related counseling on a regular basis. For example, a victim of domestic violence is given information on how to obtain a protective order or an officer may attempt to mediate a dispute between two neighbors. Officers are frequently called upon to help resolve problems that are not necessarily criminal matters.
Hoopeston Area school counselors and social workers may call upon SRO Cade to assist in
conflict mediation efforts. Parents may seek information from him if they suspect their child
may be experimenting with drugs or alcohol. Students may ask SRO Cade for advice concerning recent events or may just want someone to talk to about problems they are experiencing. SRO Cade will serve as another caring adult in the building working to find positive solutions for young people.
SRO Cade will have contact with a majority of the students in the school. He will serve as a
resource for educators in sharing expertise as a law-related educator. SRO Cade may provide classroom presentations to complement school curriculum, as well as interact and discuss law-related issues with students as a positive learning experience.
Law-related education is designed to promote responsible citizenship and give the student a
better understanding of how our legal system works. As a police officer, SRO Cade offers
students real life examples of how the criminal justice system operates. He brings experience
into the classroom as a way to educate students on the role of police officers in a free society.
SRO Cade will support school wide efforts to educate students on the
consequences of unacceptable behavior, both in the school and our community.
He will help support faculty in the classroom. SRO Cade will assist in providing
crisis and emergency training for faculty, staff, and students.