School Resource Officers: What Does the Evidence Say?

School resource officers are sworn law enforcement officials stationed directly in schools. The number of school resource officers, or SROs, has grown substantially in recent years. During the 2019–2020 school year, 65 percent of U.S. public schools reported having a security staff member present at least once a week. That's up from about 43 percent a decade earlier.

In a new paper, RAND researchers assess the existing evidence base to better understand the history of SROs, the role they play in schools, and their impact. The findings suggest that the presence of SROs may reduce some types of crime and increase the detection of weapons and drugs in schools. However, the presence of SROs also appears to have costs for students. Students at schools with SROs, particularly Black and Latino students, are more likely to face disciplinary action by school administrations. Such disciplinary actions can affect high school graduation, college attendance, and future contact with the criminal justice system.

Given these costs, the authors conclude that “it is worth asking whether alternatives are available that can reduce disruptive behavior in schools without the negative consequences associated with SROs.”