Solano County Grand Jury • 2024-2025

School Resource Officers July 1, 2025

Published: July 01, 2025 14 pages
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Findings and Recommendations 5 findings

F1
SROs are called away frequently from their assigned campuses to cover calls from non-staffed schools and to respond to external, non-school-related, calls which require extra police presence.
Related Recommendations (1)
R1
Increase staffing to expand SRO coverage for absences to accommodate health, training, outside assistance calls, and afterschool events.
F2
The current four-day, ten-hour staffing schedule results in frequent coverage gaps.
Related Recommendations (1)
R2
Change SRO scheduling from four ten-hour shifts to five eight-hour shifts to improve coverage and minimize staffing gaps.
F3
SRO assignments prioritize high school campuses and have limited coverage of other schools.
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R3
Allow for roving assignments, including part-time; and
F4
SROs and school staff need more joint training.
Related Recommendations (1)
R4
Expand joint training between SROs and school staff to: 1. enable SROs to better interact with students and become more integrated with school staff; and 2. provide active-attacker training between staff and SROs.
F5
Social media, widely-used by students, is not fully leveraged by SROs or administrators to combat misinformation.
Related Recommendations (1)
R5
Conduct more social media outreach to: 1. combat misinformation regarding school threats and keep family members from flooding campuses; and 2. disseminate useful information about resources and activities. V. COMMENTS The presence of armed officers in schools is seen by some critics as creating a climate of fear and vulnerability for students, and contributing to the "school-to-prison pipeline." This review did not support those beliefs and, in fact, confirmed that conscientious and effective measures are in place to overcome such concerns. In March 2024 a Fairfield SRO was arrested after allegations that he was exchanging inappropriate text messages and photos with some students. The Officer was removed immediately from his position and was criminally charged. This type of situation is extremely rare within SRO Programs. The strict oversight by the PD and School, resulting in the rapid response to this unfortunate situation, appeared to be sufficient and commendable. A replacement SRO was assigned immediately to ensure continuity of coverage and, to our knowledge, there have been no additional incidents. Other districts may wish to institute an SRO program in their schools if funding and personnel become available. VI.

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