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Maryland Center For School Safety

School Security Personnel

Maryland Education Article § 7-1501(j) defines a school resource officer (SRO) as a sworn law enforcement officer who has been assigned to a school in accordance with a memorandum of understanding between a law enforcement agency and the local school system or a Baltimore City school police officer.  A school security employee (SSE) is an individual employed by the local school system to provide safety or security services and not a sworn law enforcement official, Maryland Education Article § 7-1501(k). MCSS provides training and support to dedicated school security personnel that includes both SROs and SSEs. 

MCSS SRO SSE Training Academy Logo with silhouette of MD in colors of MD flag

The MCSS School Resource Officer (SRO) and School Security Employee (SSE) Training Academy aims to equip SROs and SSEs with the knowledge and skills they need to maintain safe and supportive learning environments in Maryland's public schools. The curriculum used was developed by MCSS and approved by the Maryland Police Certification and Training Commission (MPCTC). The curriculum totals 70 hours: 16 hours of foundational training components and 54 hours of specialized curriculum. Security personnel who have completed the initial training academy participate in ongoing continuing education made available by MCSS each year. 

 

Adequate Law Enforcement Coverage Required 

The nature of law enforcement adequate coverage varies across Maryland and may take the form of : 

  • Sheriff's deputies working overtime to provide adequate coverage to public schools including after-school events held on campus;
  • Patrol officers or deputies who respond to calls for service at schools that do not have an assigned SRO;
  • SRO supervisors, who are not routinely assigned to a specific school, who provide supplemental patrol service and respond to calls for service at public schools when needed;
  • State police agencies who conduct school safety checks in their area of patrol;
  • Officers or deputies who are not SROs but who are permitted access to the school building so they can check emails and conduct other official business while at the school or on school property; and
  • Officers or deputies who are assigned to a geographic area containing a grouping of K-12 schools and tasked to be primary responders to both emergency and non-emergency calls made from these schools.