School Resource Officers (SROs)

School Resource Officers:

provide a visible and positive image of law enforcement
are usually seen as mentors to students
provide advice and guidance
help with instances of bullying, cyberbullying and school violence
provide information about the law and safety, both in and out of school
deliver presentations to students about bullying, sexual consent, and drug awareness
lead or assist with investigations into criminal activity that occurs on school property or that involves students
refer students to youth and community-based programs
assist with lockdown drills, as required by school boards

History School Resource Officers in Calgary

The SRO program has operated in Calgary since 1976 and currently serves more than 400 schools across four school divisions:

Calgary Board of Education
Calgary Catholic School District
FrancoSud School Board
Palliser School Division

The program:

fosters partnerships among law enforcement, schools, and the community
helps to ensure safe school environments, successful students and productive citizens

SROs in Calgary are assigned to provide ongoing support to junior high schools and high schools. Most Calgary Police Service SROs are assigned to more than one school.

A small team of SROs provides support to elementary schools across Calgary by delivering safety presentations and assisting schools with lockdown drills, as required by school boards.

The SRO program is fully funded through the Calgary Police Service.

Who is my School Resource Officer?

To find out who your School Resource Officer is, contact the main office of your school.

If your school does not have a dedicated SRO, report any incidences of bullying or criminal activity to the school administration. They can direct you to a police officer if they feel it is necessary.

School Resource Officer Reimagination Project

In 2020, The Calgary Police Service committed to being relentless in its pursuit of dismantling systemic racism and becoming an anti-racist, equitable and inclusive police service. As part of these commitments, the Service is dedicated to fostering a more inclusive and supportive environment through the School Resource Officer (SRO) program.

The CPS is aware of the lived, negative experience of many equity-deserving students and their families with police. Informed by lessons learned over the years, including broad ranging consultation with community about community-focused programming, the SRO program is committed to implementing a program which considers and aims to meet the needs of all Calgary students.

Between 2020 and 2023, the CPS facilitated an independent review of the SRO program, to hear about the perspectives of Calgary students who identify as Racialized, Indigenous, and 2SLGBTQIA+, along with students with disabilities, and hear about the experiences they have had with police officers in Calgary schools.

The review included:

an independent survey from students, parents, teachers, administrators and CPS officers
virtual events
webinars
interviews
email submissions
a web portal
roundtable sessions

The full reports are available on the School Resource Officer Program Review page.

Moving forward

The CPS has formed the SRO Reimagination Working Group to implement the program recommendations.

An external SRO Reimagination Advisory Board has been established, which allows school staff and community members who represent equity-deserving groups to advise about police presence in schools going forward.

Resources

School Resource Officers info sheet.

*This content has been translated by an independent, third-party service. Reasonable efforts have been made to provide accurate translations, but errors may still occur. While we strive for accessibility, accuracy & linguistic/cultural understanding, the CPS does not certify the accuracy of translated content, nor assume liability for errors in translation.

School Resource Officer Review

Student Police Academy

Bullying

Cyberbullying

Preventing school violence

School safety

Our Commitment: Relentless in our Pursuit of Anti-racism, Diversity and Inclusion