PSUSD School Resource Officers participate in special training ahead of return to campuses
School Resource Officers (SROs) are expected to return to Palm Springs Unified School District campuses by next week.
The SRO program at PSUSD was temporarily suspended as the district took a look at how to improve interactions between officers and students.
PSUSD’s SROs, along with some district patrol officers and a few SROs from other districts, are participating in a five-day National Association of School Resource Officer (NASRO) training this week. The training is being held at the District Service Center.
On Thursday, officers are attending a session focusing on “Developing Successful Relationships with Diverse Students.”
“We have a really diverse population of students at PSUSD. It's about really understanding who we’re serving and how best to serve them," said Nick Capelli, Security Supervisor, PSUSD.
News Channel 3 spoke with Juan Padilla, the SRO assigned to Palm Springs High School, just after the session got out. He says the course exceeded his expectations.
“I went in with an open mind to learn what I can do to better understand students and how I can assist them,” he said.
Other topics being addressed this week include:
- Ethics and the SRO
- The SRO as a Teacher/Guest Speaker
- Understanding Special Needs Students
- The SRO as an Informal Counselor/Mentor
- Social Media and Cyber Safety
- Understanding the Teen Brain, Violence and Victimization: Challenges to Development
- Sex Trafficking of Youth
- School Law
- Effects of Youth Trends and Drugs on the School Culture and Environment
- Preventing Violence in Schools
- School Safety and Emergency Operations Plans
- Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design
Watch News Channel at 11 p.m. for more on the new training protocols in place designed to keep kids safe.
