12 NCAC 10B .0510          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)  Deputy Sheriffs assigned by their agency to perform duties as a School Resource Officer shall:

(1)           have been issued general certification by the North Carolina Sheriffs' Education and Training Standards Commission as a Deputy Sheriff; 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 January 1, 2019 and December 31, 2019. Any officer assigned as a School Resource Officer effective January 1, 2020 or later shall complete the basic School Resource Officer Training Course pursuant to Paragraph (g) of this Rule, within one year after being assigned as a School Resource Officer. Deputy Sheriffs who previously completed the training pursuant to Paragraph (f) of this Rule at any time 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 Course. Deputy Sheriffs 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 (e) of this Rule.

(c)  A Deputy Sheriff 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 Rule.

(d)  The agency head shall submit to the Sheriffs' 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 and must be completed in its entirety. The Form F-20 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 one credit of 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 becomes effective January 1, 2021. Otherwise, this requirement becomes 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 that is not completed during a single calendar year must be made up on or before January 31^st of the following calendar year. Any officer who fails to resolve a deficiency in the refresher training shall no longer maintain School Resource Officer certification.

(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 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 Agency Head or In-Service Training Coordinator once completed.

(g)  The School Resource Officer training course for Deputy Sheriffs 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 agency:

Sheriffs' Standards Division

North Carolina Department of Justice

1700 Tryon Park Drive

Post Office Drawer 629

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. 17E-4; 17E-7;

Eff. January 1, 2019;

Amended Eff. August 1, 2021; January 1, 2020.