School Resource Officers
The School Resource Officer (SRO) Unit is the largest specialized unit in the Madison County Sheriff's Office and utilizes 23 Deputies to serve inside every school in the Madison County School System, through a formal Memorandum of Understanding developed between the MCSO and the MCSS. Every SRO is carefully selected for their role, specifically trained and properly equipped to carry out their job. Every SRO is trained to the National Advanced level of SRO, the highest level of nationally accredited training available, as taught through the National Association of School Resource Officers (NASRO) programs.
At every school, our SRO's develop solid relationships with students, teachers, parents, and school community stakeholders to foster positive relationships, and to enable SROs to obtain knowledge they can use to avert violence in and against our schools.
National data shows that juvenile arrests across the U.S. have dropped 74% since 1996, which parallels the growth of SRO programs across the U.S. (https://www.nasro.org/). The MCSO program has been in constant operation protecting MCSS schools since 2009. FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) data show that since the implementation of the SRO program in Madison County schools, juvenile arrests in Madison County have dropped tremendously, despite a population increase during that same time. The evidence of our SRO program's success is verifiable, and our SRO's success in our schools is one of the many reasons our Madison County schools are among the safest public schools in the United States.
The long-term achievements of the MCSO SRO program are directly attributable not only to the dedication of each individual Deputy who has served as an SRO over the years, but also to the dedication, commitment and community support of the MCSO SRO program in our schools.
In addition to being an active high profile law enforcement officer, SROs are a resource for students, parents, teachers and administration regarding law enforcement related issues. While there is an expectation of enforcement by the SRO it takes only a portion of their time. The rest of their response is in prevention. On any given day you might find the officers giving presentations in a classroom or meeting and talking to students in the hallways. You will also find them during athletic events and school lunches.
The SROs also host a weeklong Positive Leadership Summer Youth Camp. This camp is designed to award 5th and 6th graders who performed well during the school year. During this week, the students are treated to fun activities, guest speakers and on the last day, they have a field day where water slides and other water activities are brought in and placed on the football field. The students are provided snacks and lunch each day. They are also given a gift bag containing several items. This is provided to these students at no cost.
In 2015, the Madison County Sheriff's Office along with the Madison County School System implemented the SAFE-2-TELL tip line. This gives everyone a way to pass on information regarding criminal activity, bullying, or any other issues and remaining anonymous.
The SRO Program was awarded two National Awards in 2014, National School Resource Officers Model Agency and School Safety Advocacy Council Exemplary School Safety Initiative Award.
Division Commander
Captain Cody Locke
(256) 533-8833 Office
Lieutenant William Black
Sergeant Andrew Lancaster
Alabama Jail Association
International Association of Chiefs of Police
National Children's Advocacy Center
National Sheriffs' Association