Safer Schools Community of Practice

Through the Bureau of Justice Assistance’s Student, Teachers, and Officers Preventing (STOP) School Violence Specialized Training and Technical Assistance (TTA) for Law Enforcement Program, the Institute for Intergovernmental Research will be convening the Safer Schools Community of Practice. This community of practice will bring together law enforcement officials, school officials, and other stakeholders to address concerns and challenges related to school safety, uplift best practices, and identify resources to support those in the field. Driven by the needs of the participants, each community of practice meeting will focus on a specific school safety topic and provide stakeholders with a space to engage in collaborative discussions on strategies to improve school resource officer programs and collaboration between law enforcement and school administration.

The first meeting will be held virtually on Wednesday, November 15, at 2:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m., ET. It will focus on guiding principles for school resource officer programs as outlined in the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services’ Guiding Principles for School Resource Officer Programs. Initial priorities and challenges discussed will set the stage for future meetings. Following the first meeting, a schedule will be established with meetings planned for every four to six weeks. If you or your partners are interested in joining, please provide your contact information using this form. Spaces for this meeting may be limited—confirmed participants will receive a meeting invitation.