2016 Survey of Law Enforcement Personnel in Schools (SLE

Attachment A OMBNo. XXXX-XXXX; Approval Expires XX/XX/XXXX

2016 Survey of Law Enforcement Personnel in Schools (SLEPS)
Law Enforcement Agency (LEA) Survey

[Display ORI with agency info]

Instructions

• This survey should be completed by a representative who is most knowledgeable about your agency’s employment of and policies regarding law enforcement officers working in schools.

• This survey uses the following terms and definitions:

• School Resource Officer (SRO): any officer who is primarily assigned to any public K-12 school, regardless of sworn status, arrest powers, and employment status (full-time or part-time), unless otherwise specified in the question.

• SRO program: your agency’s employment of officers who are primarily assigned to any K-12 public school, regardless of sworn status, arrest powers, and employment status (full-time or part-time), unless otherwise specified in the question.

• The Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968, as amended (42 USC 3732), authorizes this information collection. Although this survey is voluntary, we need your participation to make the results comprehensive, accurate, and timely. We greatly appreciate your assistance.

Burden Statement

Federal agencies may not conduct or sponsor an information collection, and a person is not required to respond to a collection of information, unless it displays a currently valid OMB Control Number. Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 1 hour per response, including time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. Send comments regarding this burden estimate, or any other aspects of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to the Director, Bureau of Justice Statistics, 810 Seventh Street NW, Washington, DC 20531.

Law Enforcement Agency Characteristics

1. Which best describes your agency? Mark only one.

• Police department, municipal

• Police department, county

• State/highway department

• Sheriff’s Office

• Tribal

• Independent School District

• Other (Please specify):

2. As of [DATE], how many sworn full-time officers with general arrest powers were employed by your agency? ______

3. Does your agency employ any officers that are primarily assigned to work in any public K-12 school?

• Yes – Go to question 4

• No – End of survey

SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICER Program Characteristics

4. In what year did your agency start assigning officers to public schools? ______________

5. As of [DATE], what is the funding source for your SRO program? Mark all that apply.

   • Federal grant

   • State/Local grant

   • Law enforcement agency

   • School district

   • Other (Please specify):

How many of the following public schools are served by your SRO program?	Number
a. Elementary schools (lowest grade is not higher than grade 3 and the highest grade is not higher than grade 8)	______
b. Middle schools (lowest grade is not lower than grade 4 and the highest grade is not higher than grade 9)	______
c. High schools (lowest grade is not lower than grade 9 and the highest grade is not higher than grade 12)	______
d. Combined schools (e.g., K-8, K-12)………………………………………..	______

7. Does your SRO program also serve private schools?

• Yes

• No

8. Do the majority of officers in your SRO program serve on a single permanent assignment (i.e., only serve as an SRO) or rotate to other assignments (e.g., juvenile detective, routine patrol)? Mark only one.

• Single permanent assignment

• Rotate to other assignments

SRO Policies and ASSIGNED Responsibilities

9. Does your agency have a departmental policy specifically for your SRO program?

• Yes

• No

10. With how many entities (school districts and/or individual schools) does your agency have an agreement (e.g., memorandum of understanding, contractual or verbal agreement, legislation)? Enter the number of entities by type of agreement in the table below.

	Formal agreement in place	No formal agreement in place
School districts	_________	_________
Individual schools	_________	_________

[If Q9 = No AND Q10 = 0 under formal agreement, go to Q13]

11. Which of the following best describes the type of agreement in place between your agency and the primary school/school district served by your SRO program? Mark only one.

• Memorandum of understanding (MOU)

• Contractual agreement, such as through a grant or other basis

• Legislation

• Verbal agreement

• Other (Please specify): ___________________________

12. Please select whether the following SRO program characteristics are specified in either the formal agreement between your agency and the primary school/school district served by your SRO program or within your internal departmental policy:

SRO program characteristic:	Yes	No
a. Goals of the SRO program
b. Number of officers in your SRO program
c. Schedule (e.g., before the school day begins, the full school day, etc.) that officers in your SRO program will spend at school
d. Supervision or administrative control of SROs
e. Primary functions (e.g., law enforcement, teaching, mentoring/counseling) of SROs
f. Responsibilities/duties of the school
g. Role of SROs with school discipline
h. Expectations regarding citations and arrests by SROs
i. Expectations regarding collaboration between school officials and SROs
j. Expectations for SROs when working with students
k. Procedures for resolving disagreements between school officials and SROs
l. Requirement of regular meetings between school officials and SROs

13. Are SROs required to inform school executive staff about any of the following actions?

Action:	Yes	No
a. Stop, question, and interview of student/staff in an official law enforcement capacity
b. Question students during school hours
c. Question school employees during school hours
d. Search student
e. Search premises
f. Conduct criminal investigation
g. Arrest of student during school hours
h. Arrest of school employee during school hours
i. Use of restrain on student that does not result in arrest

SRO Recruitment, Training, and Supervision

14. Do schools participate in the selection process when your agency recruits and hires SROs?

• Yes

  

• No GO TO QUESTION 16

15. How does the school participate? Mark all that apply.

• Through active recruitment of officers

• Through participation in requirements/selection criteria

• By reviewing SRO candidates prior to selection

• By providing feedback on SROs after placement to help determine a “good fit”

• Other (Please specify):

16. How does your agency select officers for the SRO program? Mark all that apply.

• Through an application process from within the department

• Through an application process external to the department (i.e. officers are hired specifically to be SROs)

• By nomination of officers from within the department

• Through assignment as part of regular duty schedule

• As a result of input and/or recommendations by school(s)/school district

• Other (Please specify):

17. Does your agency require supervisors to visit schools periodically in order to observe SROs?

• Yes

  

• No GO TO QUESTION 19

18. How often do supervisors visit schools to observe SROs?

• At least once a week

• Several times a month

• Once a month

• Several times a year

• Once a year

• Other (Please specify):

19. Does your agency have access to data (e.g., number or type of incident) on any of following measures related to SRO activities in the schools they serve?	Yes	No
a. Arrests made by SRO
b. Citations issued by SRO
c. Classes/programs taught by SRO
d. Mentoring activities performed by SRO
e. Mentoring of faculty/staff performed by SRO
f. Mentoring of parents/community performed by SRO
g. Property crimes reported at school
h. Reports of violence at school
i. Substance violations recorded at school (e.g. possession, use, buying/selling)
j. Suspensions recorded at school
k. Use of force incidents

SRO STAFFING

20. As of [DATE], how many of the following personnel are primarily assigned to any public K-12 schools?	Number of employees
a. Sworn officers	_______
b. Nonsworn employees	_______
c. Total	_______
IF 20A>0, GO TO 21 IF 20A=0 AND 20B>0, GO TO NONSWORN SECTION

SWORN SROs

Please answer the following questions for the sworn officers who serve your SRO program.

21. Enter the number of sworn SROs in your agency by race/Hispanic origin and sex:	Male	Female
White, not of Hispanic origin
Black or African American, not of Hispanic origin
Hispanic or Latino
American Indian or Alaska Native, not of Hispanic origin
Asian, not of Hispanic origin
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, not of Hispanic origin
Two or more races
Race/Hispanic origin not known
TOTAL SWORN SROs (SUM OF A-H, should match 20a)

22. Do the sworn officers who are primarily assigned to public K-12 schools…	All	Some	None
a. carry a firearm while working in schools?
b. wear a uniform while working in schools?
c. have arrest powers?
d. receive specialized SRO training?

[IF 22D = NONE, GO TO Q24]

23. Which entities provide SRO-specific training to sworn officers in your agency? Mark all that apply.

• Our agency itself (e.g., academy or in-service)

• School district

• State organization

• National organization (e.g., NASRO)

• Other (Please specify):____________________________

TRAINING TOPICS OFFERED TO SWORN SROs

24. Which of the following law enforcement training topics are offered by your agency to sworn officers in your SRO program? Please consider training provided to all sworn officers or specifically for SROs.

Law enforcement activity/topic	Yes	No
a. De-escalation strategies and techniques
b. Gangs
c. Procedures for handling juvenile offenders
d. Responding to calls for service on the school campus
e. Responding to incidents in the classroom
f. Social media monitoring
g. Use of deadly force
Use of less lethal force

25. Which of the following prevention and planning training topics are offered by your agency to sworn officers in your SRO program? Please consider training provided to all sworn officers or specifically for SROs.

Prevention and planning topic/activity	Yes	No
a. Administering special safety programs (e.g., drugs, legal issues, crime awareness, distracted driving)
b. Bullying deterrence
c. Crisis preparedness planning
d. Security audits/assessments of school campuses
e. Substance abuse recognition
f. Truancy intervention

26. Which of the following social and behavioral training topics are offered by your agency to sworn officers in your SRO program? Please consider training provided to all sworn officers or specifically for SROs.

Social and behavioral topics	Yes	No
a. Child/adolescent psychology/development
b. Conflict resolution
c. Cultural sensitivity and/or cultural competency
d. Mental health issues
e. Mentoring staff, students, and/or families
f. Positive school discipline (e.g., PBIS)
g. Students with disabilities

ACTIVITIES PERFORMED BY SWORN SROs

27. Please indicate whether each law enforcement activity is required of any of your agency’s sworn SROs while on duty. Mark ‘yes’ if the activity is included in your internal departmental policy, included in a formal agreement with schools/school districts, or expected by department executives.
Law enforcement activity:		Yes	No
a. Crisis preparedness planning
b. Issuing criminal citations
c. Making arrests
d. Patrolling school facilities
e. Responding to calls for service on the school campus
f. Responding to incidents in the classroom
g. Security audits/assessments of school campuses
h. Social media monitoring

28. Please indicate whether each mentoring activity is required of any of your agency’s sworn SROs while on duty. Mark ‘yes’ if the activity is included in your internal departmental policy, included in a formal agreement with schools/school districts, or expected by department executives.
Mentoring activity:		Yes	No
a. Advising school staff, students, or families (e.g., one-on-one, in a group, etc.)
b. Coaching athletic programs
c. Field trip chaperone
d. Supervising/coordinating non-athletic extra-curricular activities
e. Truancy intervention

29. Please indicate whether each teaching activity is required of any of your agency’s sworn SROs while on duty. Mark ‘yes’ if the activity is included in your internal departmental policy, included in a formal agreement with schools/school districts, or expected by department executives.
Teaching activity:		Yes	No
a. Administering special safety programs (e.g drugs, legal issues, crime awareness, distracted driving)
b. Conflict resolution
c. Faculty / staff in-service presentations
d. Parent organization presentations

30. Which of the following equipment are issued to your agency’s sworn SROs while on the school campus? Mark all that apply.
Item:	Issued by department for use	Not formally issued, but allowed use	Not allowed
a. Baton/nightstick
b. Body-worn camera
c. Conducted energy device (e.g. Taser)
d. Handheld metal detector wand
e. Hobble restraints
f. OC Spray/foam
g. Other (Please specify):

[IF Q20B = 0 GO TO 41]

NONSWORN SROs

Please answer the following questions for the nonsworn employees who serve your SRO program.

31. Enter the number of nonsworn SROs in your agency by race/Hispanic origin and sex:	Male	Female
White, not of Hispanic origin
Black or African American, not of Hispanic origin
Hispanic or Latino
American Indian or Alaska Native, not of Hispanic origin
Asian, not of Hispanic origin
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, not of Hispanic origin
Two or more races
Race/Hispanic origin not known
TOTAL NONSWORN SROs (SUM OF A-H, should match 20b)

32. Do the nonsworn employees who are primarily assigned to public K-12 schools…	All	Some	None
a. wear a uniform while working in schools?
b. receive specialized SRO training?

[IF 32B = NONE, GO TO Q34]

33. Which entities provide SRO-specific training to nonsworn employees in your agency? Mark all that apply.

• Our agency itself (e.g., academy or in-service)

• School district

• State organization

• National organization (e.g., NASRO)

• Other (Please specify):____________________________

TRAINING TOPICS OFFERED TO NONSWORN SROs

34. Which of the following law enforcement training topics are offered by your agency to nonsworn employees in your SRO program? Please consider training provided to all nonsworn employees or specifically for SROs.

Law enforcement activity/topic	Yes	No
a. Conducting law enforcement activities in schools
b. De-escalation strategies and techniques
c. Gangs
d. Procedures for handling juvenile offenders
e. Responding to calls for service on the school campus
f. Responding to incidents in the classroom
g. Social media monitoring
Use of less lethal force

35. Which of the following prevention and planning training topics are offered by your agency to nonsworn employees in your SRO program? Please consider training provided to all nonsworn employees or specifically for SROs.

Prevention and planning topic/activity	Yes	No
a. Administering special safety programs (e.g., drugs, legal issues, crime awareness, distracted driving)
b. Bullying deterrence
c. Crisis preparedness planning
d. Security audits/assessments of school campuses
e. Substance abuse recognition
f. Truancy intervention

36. Which of the following social and behavioral training topics are offered by your agency to nonsworn employees in your SRO program? Please consider training provided to all nonsworn employees or specifically for SROs.

Social and behavioral topics	Yes	No
a. Child/adolescent psychology/development
b. Conflict resolution
c. Cultural sensitivity and/or cultural competency
d. Mental health issues
e. Mentoring staff, students, and/or families
f. Positive school discipline (e.g., PBIS)
g. Students with disabilities

ACTIVITIES PERFORMED BY NONSWORN SROs

37. Please indicate whether each law enforcement activity is required of any of your agency’s nonsworn SROs while on duty. Mark ‘yes’ if the activity is included in your internal departmental policy, included in a formal agreement with schools/school districts, or expected by department executives.
Law enforcement activity:		Yes	No
a. Crisis preparedness planning
b. Issuing citations
c. Making arrests
d. Patrolling school facilities
e. Responding to calls for service on the school campus
f. Responding to incidents in the classroom
g. Security audits/assessments of school campuses
h. Social media monitoring

38. Please indicate whether each mentoring activity is required of any of your agency’s nonsworn SROs while on duty. Mark ‘yes’ if the activity is included in your internal departmental policy, included in a formal agreement with schools/school districts, or expected by department executives.
Mentoring activity:		Yes	No
a. Advising school staff, students, or families (e.g., one-on-one, in a group, etc.)
b. Coaching athletic programs
c. Field trip chaperone
d. Supervising/coordinating non-athletic extra-curricular activities
e. Truancy intervention

39. Please indicate whether each teaching activity is required of any of your agency’s nonsworn SROs while on duty. Mark ‘yes’ if the activity is included in your internal departmental policy, included in a formal agreement with schools/school districts, or expected by department executives.
Teaching activity:		Yes	No
a. Administering special safety programs (e.g., drugs, legal issues, crime awareness, distracted driving)
b. Conflict resolution
c. Faculty / staff in-service presentations
d. Parent organization presentations

40. Which of the following equipment are issued to your agency’s nonsworn SROs while on the school campus? Mark all that apply.
Item:	Issued by department for use	Not formally issued, but allowed use	Not allowed
a. Baton/nightstick
b. Body-worn camera
c. Conducted energy device (e.g. Taser)
d. Handheld metal detector wand
e. Hobble restraints
f. OC Spray/foam
g. Other (Please specify):

41. In addition to this survey, we provided you with a form to list all of the sworn officers from your jurisdiction who are primarily assigned to work in K-12 public schools. We will use this list to randomly select some of these individual officers to receive a survey about activities they perform. Included on the form is guidance for anonymizing the list of officers should you prefer not to provide direct identification of the officers.

Are you willing to provide this information?

• Yes—please complete the Officer Roster Form

• No—please indicate why you are not willing to provide this information:
  
  
  
  

END. Thank you very much. Those are all the questions we have for you.