If you are the parent of a child in any of Wauwatosa's secondary schools you most likely received a notice regarding a survey being conducted as it relates to the School Resource Officer program. Officer Douglas Braun, the City's first SRO, has been receiving several questions about the program and as such has asked me to post some information to better inform the public regarding the School Resource Officer. 

School Resource Officer Program

The School Resource Officer (SRO) Program was initiated in September 2005. The SRO is assigned to the Community Support Division and serves under the direct supervision of the Community Support Sergeant, Sergeant Jeffery Farina. The SRO is a uniformed position and assigned to the Secondary Schools during the day from Monday through Friday from 7:30am to 3:30pm.

A second SRO was added in January 2007 enabling and SRO to be assigned to each High School. Each SRO is also responsible for responding to the Middle and Elementary Schools when needed and available. The Current SRO's are Officer Doug Braun at West H.S. and Officer Jeff Griffin at East H.S.

The overall scope of the responsibilities of the SRO is basically unlimited. Specific duties of a SRO officer are, at this time, expected to include the following responsibilities:

• Promote rapport between Police Officers and students in the secondary schools.
• Work to protect the school, staff and students from crime and violence.
• Serve as immediate resource for staff and students.
• Conduct criminal and quasi-criminal investigation that occur during the day and that would have normally necessitated the dispatching of a Patrol Officer.
• Handle follow up investigations of crimes other issues.
• Make arrests of students when appropriate.
• Coordinate SRO efforts with the Detective Bureau fo the Wauwatosa Police Department.
• Promote a working relationship with other police-student resources in the Wauwatosa School District.
• Make presentations to students, parents and staff members on law, law enforcement, safety issues and good citizenship.
• Refer troubled students to proper professional resources within the guidelines of school policies as needed.
• Work with parents of runaway students.
• Counsel students who are established juvenile offenders.
• Coordinate the Crime Stopper Program in the secondary schools.
• Attend various school functions as deemed necessary such as secondary graduations, proms, dances, certain athletic events, etc.
• Meet periodically with the school district administration to discuss and evaluate the SRO program.

From January to June and September to December of 2007 the School Resource Officers responded to over 330 calls for police service. The calls included child abuse, battery, robbery, disorderly conduct, theft, possession of controlled substances, intoxicated juveniles, possesion of tobacco products, warrants, missing juveniles, threats, vandalism and truancy.

The SRO's also made over 100 presentations to students, staff and parents on such topics as personal safety, drug and alcohol awareness, internets safety, bullying, conflict resolution, juvenile law, and legal consequences. Officer Braun is also a staff advisor  for the Wauwatosa West H.S. Key Club and Officer Griffin is involved in a mentoring program for juveniles.                                                 

A McGruff House is a temporary haven for children who find themselves in emergency or frightening situations such as being bullied, followed, or hurt while walking in a neighborhood.

A McGruff House provides a sense of security and a source of emergency aid.  It is not an escort service or a guarantee of safety but rather a place for appropriate short-term help by an adult for a child.  An effective McGruff House Program demonstrates that the community accepts a shared responsibility to watch out and help out on behalf of all its children.

WHAT DOES A McGRUFF HOUSE PARTICIPANT DO?

An individual who volunteers as a McGruff House participant agrees to provide the following types of emergency assistance for children as they go to and from school and are at play in the area:

ü      Telephone appropriate authorities for help;

ü      Reassure and aid children who are frightened or lost;

ü      Assist children who have medical emergencies by obtaining appropriate attention;

ü      Assist those who are in immediate fear of becoming victims of personal crime or thefts, child abuse, gangs, or bullies; and

ü      Report crimes and suspicious activities to law enforcement officials and provide descriptions of vehicles and suspects when possible.

THE McGRUFF HOUSE PARTICIPANT DOES NOT X:

X     Personally provide first aid or administer medications, except in extreme emergency situations and then only if qualified;

X     Act as an escort service;

X     Assume the role of neighborhood supervisor;

X     Enforce laws;

X     Provide toilet facilities;

X     Provide a place to “warm up” or “cool down”;

X     Provide food or beverages; or

X     Guarantee safety.

WHY McGRUFF HOUSE?

What makes McGruff House different from other block parent programs?

¨      First, McGruff the Crime Dog.  The House displays a symbol - McGruff, the trench-coated spokesdog for crime prevention - recognized by 99% of America’s children because they’ve seen him on television, in print, or because he has visited their school.  One in five U.S. families moves yearly;  using a symbol recognized nationwide makes sense.

¨      Second, the McGruff House Program is designed to help children.  Recognizing that it is impossible in any program to protect against all contingencies, reasonable precautions have been designed into the McGruff House Program to determine the integrity of those volunteers who participate.  Adults who volunteer their homes agree to law-enforcement records checks.  The distribution of McGruff House signs is strictly controlled.  Each numbered sign is released only after all screening procedures are completed and the applicant is approved.

¨      Third, McGruff House is a locally operated program.  It is a service provided by the community for the well-being of children and represents a cooperative effort.  The partners must include local law enforcement, a school or school system, and a community organization (such as PTA/PTO, Neighborhood Watch, civic association).  It can and should be tailored to local needs and conditions within the basic framework.

¨      Fourth, McGruff House is a nationwide program that represents a partnership among local communities, state governments, and a national organization.  This partnership enables communities to benefit form the credibility and visibility of the national effort and to join with other communities in implementing a program with consistent standards, guidelines, and safeguards. 

            Community Support Secretary Laura Laurishke

            Wauwatosa Police Department

            1700 North 116^th Street

            Wauwatosa, WI  53226

            (414) 471-8430 Ext. 5111

            llaurishke@wauwatosa.net