SRO training taking place in New Hope

NEW HOPE, Miss. (WCBI)- School may be out in New Hope this week, but there was still some action in the hallways.

School Resource Officers from about a dozen districts across Mississippi and Alabama are taking part in training courses in Lowndes County this week.

The National Association of School Resource Officers program teaches law enforcement officers to apply what they have learned on the streets to the school environment.

Training coordinator Chief C.J. Hendry of the Pearl School District Police Department says there are some differences between patrolling the halls and patrolling the streets, but the trade-offs are worth it.

“As a school resource officer, it’s something I never saw myself doing when I got into law enforcement, but it’s easily the most rewarding position I’ve done in my career in law enforcement and I highly recommend it for an officer to get into this field,” said Chief Hendry.

School Resource Officers must be certified law enforcement officers with at least some field experience.