12 ncac 09B .0313          Certification and training for school resource officers

(a)  A "School Resource Officer (SRO)" is defined as any law enforcement officer assigned to one or more public schools within a local school administrative unit, as defined in G.S. 115C-5(6), who works in a school at least 20 hours per week for more than 12 weeks per calendar year to assist with all of the following:

(1)           School safety;

(2)           School security;

(3)           Emergency preparedness;

(4)           Emergency response; and

(5)           Any additional responsibilities related to school safety or security assigned by the officer's employer while the officer is acting as a School Resource Officer.

Any written memorandum of understanding between the local school administrative unit and the law enforcement agency governing the School Resource Officer shall be consistent with this Paragraph.

(b)  Law enforcement officers assigned by their agency to perform duties as a School Resource Officer shall:

(1)           have been issued general certification by the North Carolina Criminal Justice Education and Training Standards Commission as a law enforcement officer; and

(2)           have until December 31, 2020, to complete the basic School Resource Officer Training course, if they are acting in the capacity of a School Resource Officer between October 1, 2018 and December 31, 2019. Any officer assigned as a School Resource Officer effective January 1, 2020 or later shall complete the School Resource Officer Training course pursuant to Paragraph (g) of this Rule, within one year after being assigned as a School Resource Officer. Law enforcement officers who previously completed the training pursuant to Paragraph (g) of this Rule and who have been continually assigned as an SRO pursuant to Paragraph (a) of this Rule shall be credited with completion of the basic School Resource Officer Training. Law enforcement officers who completed the training pursuant to Paragraph (g) of this Rule between October 1, 2018 and December 31, 2020 shall be credited with completion of the basic School Resource Officer Training course even if they were not assigned as an SRO pursuant to Paragraph (a) of this Rule as long as they comply with the annual SRO refresher training pursuant to Paragraph (g) of this Rule.

(c)  A law enforcement officer assigned to one or more public schools within a local school administrative unit, who works in a school at least 20 hours per week for more than 12 weeks per calendar year and who has not completed the initial training as established by Paragraph (g) of this Rule shall not work in a school as a School Resource Officer until the officer has completed the initial training as established by Paragraph (g) of this Section.

(d)  The agency head shall submit to the Criminal Justice Standards Division a Form F-20 Commission School Resource Officer Assignment Form for the person(s) selected to act as a School Resource Officer for the agency. The Form F-20 is located on the agency's website: https://ncdoj.gov/law-enforcement-training/criminal-justice/forms-and-publications/#91-114-wpfd-law-enforcement and must be completed in its entirety. The Commission School Resource Officer Assignment Form consists of the following:

(1)           applicant's name;

(2)           date of birth;

(3)           social security number;

(4)           name of agency and address;

(5)           date awarded general certification;

(6)           completion date of School Resource Officer training; and

(7)           date assigned as a School Resource Officer.

(e)  The term of certification as a School Resource Officer shall be indefinite, provided the School Resource Officer completes during each calendar year a one hour basic School Resource Officer refresher training authored by North Carolina Justice Academy. For School Resource Officers who complete the basic SRO training requirement in 2020 or earlier, this requirement shall be effective January 1, 2021. For SROs, this requirement shall be effective the year following the officer's successful completion of the basic School Resource Officer Training course. A certified School Resource Officer who has not completed the refresher training during a calendar year as established by this Rule shall not work in a school as a School Resource Officer until the officer has completed the required refresher training as established by this Rule. Any refresher training deficiency must be made up on or before January 31^st of the following calendar year.

(f)  Instructors who teach a basic SRO course in an in-person traditional classroom format will receive credit toward the completion of the basic SRO course requirement as required by this Rule, provided that they pass all tests required by the SRO Training Manual authored by the North Carolina Justice Academy. Instructors shall have their instruction documented by the Department Head or In-Service Training Coordinator once completed.

(g)  The basic School Resource Officer Training course for law enforcement officers shall provide the trainee with the skills and knowledge to perform in the capacity of a School Resource Officer. The basic School Resource Officer Training Course authored by the North Carolina Justice Academy shall be used as the curriculum for this training course. Copies of this publication may be inspected at the office of the agency:

Criminal Justice Standards Division

North Carolina Department of Justice

1700 Tryon Park Drive

Post Office Drawer 149

Raleigh, North Carolina 27602

and may be obtained at the cost of printing and postage from the North Carolina Justice Academy at the following address:

North Carolina Justice Academy

Post Office Drawer 99

Salemburg, North Carolina 28385

History Note:        Authority G.S. 17C-6; 17C-10;

Eff. October 1, 2018;

Amended Eff. August 1, 2021; October 1, 2019.