Bill Overview
Title: School Watch and Tactics Act of 2022
Description: 2022 This bill directs the Department of Justice to develop, disseminate, and publish best practices for occupation-specific education for school resource officers.
Sponsors: Rep. Higgins, Clay [R-LA-3]
Target Audience
Population: Individuals associated with School Resource Officers
Estimated Size: 50500000
- School resource officers are the primary target of this legislation as it specifically addresses their education and training.
- School administrators and local education agencies will be indirectly affected as they work to implement the practices introduced by this act.
- Students and parents may also be impacted by changes in the way school resource officers interact with the school environment.
- Educational and law enforcement stakeholders are involved at different stages of implementation and evaluation of the new practices.
Reasoning
- The budget assigned to this policy needs to be distributed primarily among the estimated 30,000 to 50,000 school resource officers across the United States to enhance their education and training.
- Given the large number of students in schools with resource officers, the indirect impact on students and parents must be considered, although direct resources will not necessarily be allocated to them.
- The policy's footprint is national, but most resources will be spent on the direct training and development of protocols for school resource officers, making their wellbeing and job performance our primary focus.
- The policy's potential wider societal impacts include changes in the school environment and improved safety, which could affect the wellbeing perceptions of students, parents, and teaching staff.
- The act's longitudinal effect will hinge on the fidelity of implementation and the degree to which localized agencies can adopt the federally recommended practices.
- Considering the training nature of the policy, immediate impacts on wellbeing scores might be low, but longer-term systemic improvements could manifest later.
Simulated Interviews
School Resource Officer (Boston, MA)
Age: 35 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 5/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I appreciate the focus on training specific to our roles. It shows that the federal government understands the unique challenges we face.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 9 | 7 |
School Administrator (Houston, TX)
Age: 42 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 8/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Training for SROs is crucial. It may initially be an administrative burden, but the long-term benefits for school safety are worth it.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 9 | 8 |
Parent (Phoenix, AZ)
Age: 28 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 10/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I'm hopeful the new training will improve interactions. Sometimes the presence of officers can feel intimidating.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 6 |
Teacher (Chicago, IL)
Age: 51 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 8.0 years
Commonness: 15/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Better training can reduce misunderstandings and help build a safer school environment.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 6 |
Student (Miami, FL)
Age: 17 | Gender: other
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 3.0 years
Commonness: 20/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I feel better knowing officers might get training tailored to our school environment.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 7 |
Police Officer (works with SROs) (Seattle, WA)
Age: 46 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 10/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This policy will standardize our training and potentially make collaboration with schools easier.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 6 |
School Resource Officer (Atlanta, GA)
Age: 24 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 6/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Extra training will help me feel more confident in my role.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 9 | 7 |
Education Policy Analyst (Denver, CO)
Age: 55 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 8
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 3/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This act could significantly reshape SRO functions, aligning them better with educational goals.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 3 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 20 | 9 | 8 |
School Principal (New York, NY)
Age: 38 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 8.0 years
Commonness: 10/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Updating training for officers is overdue. We deal with many diverse needs of students.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 7 |
Retired Law Enforcement (San Francisco, CA)
Age: 62 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 5/20
Statement of Opinion:
- With the right training, SROs can bridge the gap between students and security.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 7 |
Cost Estimates
Year 1: $7000000 (Low: $5000000, High: $9000000)
Year 2: $6000000 (Low: $4000000, High: $8000000)
Year 3: $5000000 (Low: $3000000, High: $7000000)
Year 5: $5000000 (Low: $3000000, High: $7000000)
Year 10: $4000000 (Low: $2000000, High: $6000000)
Year 100: $1000000 (Low: $500000, High: $3000000)
Key Considerations
- Coordination between the Department of Justice and educational stakeholders is crucial for successful implementation.
- Evaluations of the policy's impact on school safety and climate should be ongoing to determine effectiveness.
- A balance between cost and measurable outcomes would help ensure optimal allocation of resources.