School resource officers are an integral part of school systems across the country. SRO's are trained police officers who receive a special certification to work with students.
For more than a decade, school resource officers have walked the hallways of schools along the Grand Strand and in the Pee Dee. School leaders say the program started with a federal grant and it stayed in place because of the need.
The school resource officer position is a volunteer post. Police say when an opening becomes available within a school, they look for someone who is a senior officer, shows patience, and works well with the public.
One of the challenges in working with children and teenagers is deciding the appropriate course of action to correct a situation - whether it be criminal, or if it's something the school administration can handle. "They also help children understand law enforcement, is there to help that it's not punitive branch of the government. We're there to guide and to help and to educate those children more than anything else," said Lt. John Harrelson, the SRO supervisor for the Horry County Police Department.
That education includes safety briefings, talking to students about underage drinking, and other law related topics.
In light of recent incidents involving SRO's, county officials say they are constantly looking for ways to improve the program.
When possible that includes advanced training at the South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy in Columbia.
In Horry County there's one SRO in every high school and middle school.
