School Safety Officers (SSO)
The SSO program is unique whereas officers in this classification are highly visible and assist school administrators and law enforcement with various tasks related to their respective campuses.
The SSO program relies heavily on building trust and establishing relationships on their respective campuses, primarily with students and staff. SSOs and SROs work together to maintain a safe orderly learning environment so that the educational process can take place free of disruption.
Once these candidates have met the hiring standards, they participate in a multi-week Field Training Program under the guidance of a P.O.S.T.-certified Field Training Officer.
SSOs are P.O.S.T. and FEMA trained and certified in various disciplines:
- Leadership, Professionalism, & Ethics
- Search and Seizure
- Laws of Arrest
- Vehicle Operations
- Cultural Diversity / Discrimination
- Investigative Report Writing
- First Aid / CPR / AED / Stop-the-bleed
- Vehicle Patrol
- Bicycle Patrol
- Incident Command System
At the completion of the multi-week training program, probationary employees must demonstrate proficiency in all areas of training to ensure their knowledge of the position.
Specialized Assigments
Field Training Officer (FTO)
Field training officers have the dual responsibility of providing public safety service in their assigned areas, as well as conducting training for new officers.
Officers are required to meet specific performance standards in several performance categories before being certified for solo duty. After completion of the FTO program, each officer is assigned to a school site. During this time, the officer is evaluated by their immediate supervisor. As the officers near the completion of their probationary period, the immediate supervisor administers a formal evaluation to review the officer's performance. Officers who have performed at an acceptable level and pass their probationary period are recommended for retention as permanent employees.
Program Objectives
- To train and evaluate all officers in preparation for solo duty.
- To achieve the highest possible success rate for all officers trained.
- To train newly appointed field training officers in preparation for their new duties.
- To ensure that all officers are trained to the highest standards and can demonstrate proficiency and professionalism in all assigned duties.
The Department of Safety and Security established a Threat Investigation Program to enhance and facilitate better information sharing, communication, and collaboration between local, state, and federal agencies as well as address the emerging issues of school violence threats happening across the country.
Some of the duties of the TIO include training District personnel, student and parent awareness training, filtering potential threat related reports, filing reports with appropriate agencies, maintaining constant contact with administrators, as well as disseminating necessary related information to the field units.