School Resource Officers

Many schools across the nation now use School Resource Officers (SRO’s) to promote a safe and positive environment for the school community. The relationship between the school and law enforcement in these situations is complex.  The National Association of School Resource Officers and most organizations recommend that every school district that routinely uses a law enforcement officer within the school setting should have a clear Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to define this partnership.

An MOU is typically a collaborative agreement made between a School District and the Law Enforcement Agency having primary jurisdiction in the School District to define the respective roles and responsibilities for SRO’s.  Even when there are no SRO’s in the school, an MOU can still be an effective method of clarifying roles and establishing a sustainable partnership between a School District and the law enforcement agency that has jurisdiction in the District.

This Wyoming Model MOU was prepared by a Committee of Law Enforcement, School Administrators and allied Professionals convened by the Wyoming Children’s Law Center, Inc. with the financial support of the Wyoming Community Foundation.  Model MOU – WORD or PDF link for your use.