Rensselaer City School District

School Resource Officer (SRO) Clark Roehr  begins his first year as SRO at Rensselaer City School District.. Officer Roehr has been employed with the City of Rensselaer Police Department since June of 2008. During his career as a law enforcement officer with the Rensselaer Police Department he has served different functions within the department such as: Patrol Officer, Fire Investigator, Accident Investigator, Evidence Technician, Field Training Officer, and now has the privilege of serving as the School Resource Officer. 

A SRO is a sworn law enforcement officer trained to perform three major roles: law enforcement officer, law-related counselor, and law-related teacher/educator. Furthermore, the SRO and the Rensselaer City School District will work in a collaborative effort to enhance positive, communicative and productive relationships among police, students, school personnel, and parents to foster a safe and secure educational environment.

In regards to the role of law enforcement officer, the SRO will assist the administration in maintaining a safe and secure environment. SROs have the duty to serve and protect schools as part of a community-policing strategy. SROs are responsible for investigating and resolving violations of criminal law on school grounds. SROs are not school disciplinarians, violations of school rules are the responsibility of the school administration. The presence of a SRO on a day-to-day basis, along with the interaction with students and staff, supports a safe and orderly educational environment.

The SROs role of law-related counselor will require the SRO to establish rapport with students and be an informal counselor/mentor to students. The SRO is responsible for developing an effective working relationship with school support staff to identify school resources that best support students, families and staff members. Furthermore, the SROs role in the school community is to be a resource to professional counseling staff already in place at the school.

Lastly, the role of our SRO will provide an opportunity to personally connect with students in a positive atmosphere. The SRO may be giving presentations throughout the year to students on law-related and various safety educations. Law-related education is designed to promote the understanding of the law, which in turn helps students to become better-informed and effective citizens.