SRO Law Enforcement Procedures 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: An SRO is the first responder to an active shooter event at school. According to current active shooter response protocols, what is the priority action?
- Wait for SWAT to arrive before entering the building
- Move immediately toward the threat to stop the killing, even without backup (Correct answer)
- Evacuate all students from the building first
- Set up a perimeter and await incident command
Correct answer: Move immediately toward the threat to stop the killing, even without backup
Current active shooter protocols, including those from ALERRT and DHS, direct first responders to immediately move to the threat to stop the killing, even alone.
Question 2: Under 42 U.S.C. § 1983, an SRO may be held civilly liable for which type of conduct?
- Any mistake made in good faith
- Deliberate violation of a student's clearly established constitutional rights (Correct answer)
- Following department policy even if the policy is later found invalid
- Actions taken during off-duty hours unrelated to school duties
Correct answer: Deliberate violation of a student's clearly established constitutional rights
Section 1983 creates liability when a government official, acting under color of law, deliberately violates a person's clearly established constitutional or statutory rights.
Question 3: A student is placed in a school police car for questioning but is told they are free to leave at any time. Is this considered a custodial interrogation?
- Yes, because a police car is inherently coercive
- Likely no, if a reasonable person would believe they could leave based on the circumstances (Correct answer)
- Yes, because any police questioning of a minor is custodial
- No, because the student is on school property
Correct answer: Likely no, if a reasonable person would believe they could leave based on the circumstances
Custody is determined by whether a reasonable person in the circumstances would feel free to terminate the encounter and leave, regardless of the officer's stated intentions.
Question 4: Which law prohibits an SRO from disclosing a student's educational records, including disciplinary files, without proper authorization?
- HIPAA
- FERPA (Correct answer)
- IDEA
- Title IX
Correct answer: FERPA
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) protects the privacy of student educational records and restricts their disclosure without consent or a recognized exception.
Question 5: An SRO uses force to restrain a student and the student is seriously injured. What documentation is required?
- No documentation is needed if the force was justified
- A use-of-force report must be completed per department policy, regardless of justification (Correct answer)
- Only a verbal report to the shift supervisor is necessary
- Documentation is only required if the student's parents file a complaint
Correct answer: A use-of-force report must be completed per department policy, regardless of justification
Department policy and best practices require a use-of-force report after any use of force, both for accountability and legal protection of the officer.
Question 6: Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 requires an SRO to be aware of which obligation?
- Ensuring equal athletic funding between genders
- Responding appropriately to sexual harassment and assault complaints at school (Correct answer)
- Maintaining separate disciplinary standards for male and female students
- Providing gender-neutral restroom facilities
Correct answer: Responding appropriately to sexual harassment and assault complaints at school
Title IX prohibits sex-based discrimination and requires schools, including their SROs, to respond promptly and effectively to reports of sexual harassment and assault.
Question 7: When an SRO is testifying in juvenile court about a school-based incident, which practice best ensures credibility?
- Memorizing a scripted testimony provided by the prosecutor
- Reviewing detailed, contemporaneous incident reports written close in time to the event (Correct answer)
- Relying solely on memory without reviewing notes
- Summarizing only favorable facts and omitting unfavorable details
Correct answer: Reviewing detailed, contemporaneous incident reports written close in time to the event
Reviewing accurate, contemporaneous notes written shortly after the incident is the best way to ensure testimony is credible, accurate, and consistent.
SRO Law Enforcement Procedures 5
An SRO is the first responder to an active shooter event at school.
According to current active shooter response protocols, what is the priority action?