The Pima County Sheriff’s Department utilizes a School Resource Officer Unit as part of our efforts to provide cutting edge law enforcement services to the citizens of Pima County.  We recognize that having deputies work in area schools provides a unique opportunity to work proactively in preventing crime through education, outreach, and a strong presence amongst young people.  Research indicates that a large number of nuisance crimes and petty offenses that negatively impact quality of life are committed by juveniles.  Also, many individuals who end up in a gang or criminal lifestyle begin such activity while still in school.  Therefore, training officers trained to understand and respond to unique circumstances surrounding juvenile crime allows us to act swiftly and effectively when investigating criminal activity of this type.

Each school resource officer is charged with assessing the layout of each campus, reviewing the school’s emergency lockdown procedures and day-to-day functions to determine the best safety strategy.  Schools benefit from their partnership with law enforcement officers who apply specialized knowledge to make the schools a safer place for children and staff.  In an age when disenfranchised and disturbed people find their way to school campuses, improving emergency response to school situations is vitally important.

The Pima County Sheriff’s Department also offers a unique and flexible program known as “S.T.A.R.” or Student Training and Response.  This curriculum is taught by school resource officers to fifth grade students offering insights into goal setting, decision making, problem solving, and long term success plans.  Instructors of the S.T.A.R. Program customize presentations to best meet the needs of the students.   The instructors/deputies interactions with each class leave a lasting impression on how the students view their personal responsibilities, their future, and how they view law enforcement in general.  The S.T.A.R. Program is designed to provide opportunities for students to interact with deputies in an educational and character-building atmosphere and better prepare students for future challenges and create a positive connection with the law enforcement community.  We believe this program successfully diminishes the distorted views and attitudes that contribute to children choosing to participate in criminal behavior. 

In addition to the S.T.A.R. Program, deputies teach other law-related topics to students throughout Pima County – safe driving, vehicle security, gangs, guns, drug abuse, and other topics as requested by faculty and staff.  The Pima County Sheriff’s Department receives grant funding from the Arizona Automobile Theft Authority (AATA) which provides school resource officers the opportunity to present information related to automobile security to students.  Students who participate in an AATA presentation may be eligible to receive a free steering wheel lock.   School resource officers’ specialized legal knowledge is oftentimes helpful to teachers, faculty, or staff; and, deputies participate in staff development opportunities sharing their knowledge.