CHARLES COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICER UNIT

IN CHARLES COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS

SENATE BILL 1265, MARYLAND SAFE TO LEARN ACT OF 2018

Requires Local School Systems and Law

Enforcement Agencies to provide adequate law

enforcement coverage at ALL SCHOOLS and

calls for the expansion of coordinated mental

health services for students

SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICER PROGRAM

• Program started SY 1999-2000 with one School Resource Officer assigned to Thomas Stone High School

• SY 2003-2004 a School Resource Officer was assigned to each of the six high schools with a Supervisor assigned to the Central Office

• SY 2007-2008 a School Resource Officer was assigned to each of the eight middle schools and a second Supervisor was added

• Currently there are 15 School Resource Officers assigned with two Supervisors assigned to the Central Office

MISSION STATEMENT

Our mission is to reduce incidences of juvenile offenses by

building rapport with students and helping them solve

problems that can lead to juvenile delinquency or even

violence, and work with our schools and public safety

partnership community groups to improve schools’

strategies for securing and maintaining safe schools and

communities.

EXEMPLAR SRO PROGRAM

The Department of Justice (DOJ) spotlighted Charles County’s School

Resource Officers (SRO) on April 25, 2014 providing attention to a program

DOJ officials called a model for the nation. DOJ officials visited Charles

County Public Schools to research how Charles County’s successful SRO

program works, and officers shared policies, methods, and classroom visits to

provide a broad overview. “You are building a culture of trust because of your

SROs,” Said Karol Mason, an Assistant U.S. Attorney General. “You are role

models for what success looks like and a model of how this should work

nation wide,” Mason said.

SROS MENTOR FUTURE SROS

“In 2000 I was a troubled juvenile who had been faced with many challenges. I

had several run ins with law enforcement. My School Resource Officer made it a

point to follow up with me during school hours and at my house. Many times he

would see me while he was out on the streets and just created small talk to make

sure that things were going good. As I got older, I still tried to stay out of trouble

but fell off track throughout high school. I was able to remember who helped

keep me out of trouble and I eventually straightened back out. I attended the

police academy in 2015 and after graduation I reached out to Michael

Bomgardner who was my School Resource Officer and wanted to thank him for

helping me get on the right track early in life. To this day I use my experiences in

hopes to help educate today's youth to get them back on the right track and help

make better choices.”

PFC. Shawn Joffe #608

CCSO School Resource Unit

SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICERTRIAD MODEL

The National Association of School Resource Officers (NASRO) was

founded on the “triad” concept of school-based policing. The triad

concept divides the SROs responsibilities into three areas:

• Law Enforcement Officers within the school and surrounding

community

• Instructors who teach law-related topics in the classroom

• Student mentors who help resolve conflicts without violence

TRAINING:

• All SRO’s are mandated by Maryland to attend a 40 hr. course taught by the

Maryland Center for School Safety. The curriculum was created in conjunction

with our own Lt. Bill Welch, former SRO supervisor

• All SRO’s are trained in Drug Awareness Resistance Education (DARE) program

and teach classes throughout the year in elementary and middle schools.

• CCBOE sponsored sending all SRO to the National SRO conference in order to

learn nationwide best practices.

• SRO are provided training by CCBOE in restorative practices and mental health

• Yearly active shooter training to allow the officers in the school to react and

recognize indicators of an active shooter.

MENTAL HEATH BOOT CAMP

SCHOOL SAFETY

• SROs assigned to every high school and middle school and maintain

offices in each school

• SROs have elementary schools as secondary assignments and

routinely visit sites

• SROs work in conjunction with the CCPS Office of School Safety and

Security in the design and implementation of school safety plans

• SROs assist administration in conducting and evaluating lockdown

drills, fire drills, shelter-in- place drills, bus evacuation drills, and

inclement weather drills

• Work in conjunction with the CCPS Office of School Safety and

Security in researching and designing security upgrades for all CCPS

schools, to include revising school safety plans and standardizing

emergency protocols

SCHOOL CLIMATE

• Annual Safe Schools Presentation

• Active Shooter Presentations

• Crisis Team member

• Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS)

• Check In / Check Out

• Maryland Safe and Supportive Schools (MDS3)

• Attended National PBIS Leadership Forum

• Participated in state level planning meetings

STUDENT SUPPORT TEAMS (SSTS)Each school is required to have an SST whose membership may

include a School Resource Officer.

• Reviews identified concerns and serves as a vehicle for facilitating positive

change and/or generating appropriate referrals to other school intervention

teams

• Collaborative process to assess the needs of students who are struggling

academically and/or behaviorally

The SST process can address such issues as:

• Learning difficulties

• Poor attendance

• Behavioral social-emotional

• Health concerns

• School climate

• Substance abuse

SRO INTERVENTIONS:

• DARE

• Truth & Consequences

• Teen Court

• We Care Safe Driving Program

• Every 15 Minutes

• Enrichment camps ( Soccer, Baseball, Football, Youth Achievement and Just

Say No)

• School Wellness Visits with Sheriff Berry

• Officer-based Drug Prevention Program taught to 5th and 6th grade students

• Interactive group activities

• Lessons covering relatable experiences with officer-injected examples

• Add-on lessons for Bullying, Gangs, and Cyber Safety

• DARE was delivered to 1440 5th graders during 395 class sessions for SY

2017-2018 and 1645 5th graders during 500 class sessions for SY 18-19.

5TH GRADE DARE GRADUATIONS

DARE CAR

TRUTH AND CONSEQUENCES• T&C is a mandated portion of the 7th and 9th grade health

curriculum in public schools.

• The program educates students about the fundamentals toward prevention, intervention, early warning signs of violence, peer pressure, conflict resolution, accountability and responsibility, and problem solving and opioid overdose.

• Targets middle and high school-aged students to assist them in becoming responsible members of the community by discussing reality based instances occurring within the community.

• T&C program is offered as an optional one-week curriculum to private school students.

• T&C was delivered to 224 7th and 9th grade health classes in SY 18-19 and 199 7th and 9th grade health classes in SY 19-20

TRUTH AND CONSEQUENCES

Students watch Chasing the Dragon

video on opioid overdose prevention

during T&C

TEEN COURT

• Diversionary program for first time offenders

• Handles minor misdemeanor criminal cases and minor traffic offenses

• Respondents are between the ages of 11 through 17

• Real court atmosphere

• Petit or Grand Jury format

• Jury of peers vote as a team on the sanctions that will be handed down to the respondents

“WE CARE” SAFE DRIVING PROGRAM

• Nine teenagers died in automobile crashes in Charles County during the

2007-2008 school year.

• Sheriff directed members of the Agency to form a task force.

• In the fall of 2008, the “We Care” Safe Driving Program was established.

• School Resource Officers and student leaders participate in events all year

long that reinforce safe driving messages.

• “We Care” has drastically reduced the number of fatal crashes involving

teenagers in Charles County.

“WE CARE” SAFE DRIVING PROGRAM

“EVERY 15 MINUTES”

The Every 15 Minutes Program offers a real-life experience without the

real-life risks. This emotionally-charged program, entitled Every 15

Minutes, is an event designed to dramatically instill teenagers with the

potentially dangerous consequences of drinking alcohol and texting while

driving. This powerful program will challenge students to think about

drinking, texting while driving, personal safety, and the responsibility of

making mature decisions when lives are involved.

This event is a collaborative effort between Charles County Public

Schools, Charles County Sheriff’s Office, and Waldorf Volunteer Fire

Department. Special thanks goes to Waldorf VFD, which funded the entire

event.

“EVERY 15 MINUTES”

SUMMER YOUTH ACHIEVEMENT CAMP

• Summer Youth Achievement Program- the program is designed to meet the needs of Charles

County youth who are in the 6th, 7th and 8th grades (middle school student population). The

participating students will be drawn from within the geographic boundaries of Charles County,

Maryland. The program provides activities and classroom instruction in the following areas:

• Academics, to include tutoring and reading skills enhancement.

• Social skills building, to include goal setting, decision making, self-esteem, conflict

resolution, refusal skills, communication skills, violence and gang prevention, and gun safety

awareness, substance abuse prevention, to include tobacco, alcohol and drugs. Health

awareness, to include, nutrition skills, vocational training, and employment opportunity.

Recreational activities, to include athletics and planned field trips. The field trips specifically

address four components of the program's strategy: community outreach, vocational /

employment training, arts / culture, and recreation.

SUMMER YOUTH ACHIEVEMENT CAMP

70 participants 2018 ~ 80 participants 2019

SUMMER YOUTH SPORTS CAMPS

The CCSO SRO program hosts and staffs FREE Summer Youth Sports Camps

each summer including: Badges for Baseball Camp, COPS for Kids Football,

and the Ladies Leadership Soccer Camp. These programs enable the

relationships that have been built throughout the school year with students to

continue over the summer. While focusing on specific sports fundamentals,

officers also teach teamwork, and sportsmanship. The sport camps are mainly

funded through grants such as the Governors Crime Prevention Office grant.

BADGES FOR BASEBALL

70 participants 2018 ~ 70 participants 2019

COPS FOR KIDS FOOTBALL

60 participants 2018 ~ 70 participants 2019

LADIES LEADERSHIP SOCCER CAMP

52 participants 2018 ~ 70 participants 2019

WEEKLY WELLNESS VISITS

These visits to all CCPS Elementary and Middle schools have been a regular

part of Sheriff Berry's schedule for years. The students enjoy his message

about the importance of responsibility and they have fun too, especially with

some popular DAB dance moves and making silly faces! Many thanks to the

administration, teachers, staff, and of course the students at Charles County

Public Schools for welcoming us. "I truly enjoy meeting the kids and all of the

staff, and this is also a way that I can support the great work our School

Resource Officers are doing," says Sheriff Berry.

STUDENT CONTACTS & ARRESTS

• A physical arrest is when a student is

physically placed under arrest by a law

enforcement official. A paper arrest occurs

when there is an officer-initiated referral or

request for charges by school officials to

DJS

• SY 18-19 SROs made 198 Arrests ~

• 180 paper /18 physical

• SY 19-20 SROs made 152 Arrests~

• 150 paper/ 2 physical

• Student contacts can be during investigations,

giving advice, mediations, or casual

conversations.

• SY 18-19 SROs had 20,266 documented non-

enforcement student interactions

• SY 19-20 SROs had 16, 736 documented non-

enforcement student interactions

We Love Our SRO’s

and Our SROs love us!!!