Launch of the School Resource Officers Project to Enhance School Safety

On 13 September, the City of Cape Town's Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security, Alderman JP Smith, together with the Minister for Community Safety, Dan Plato, and the Minister for Education, Donald Grant, will officially launch the School Resource Officers (SRO) pilot project.

The city and the Western Cape Government are committed to working together to enhance school safety and create secure environments in which teaching and learning can take place without fear or disruption.

In line with this commitment, a pilot project will be launched that will see SROs being introduced into six identified schools within the Cape Town Metropole in 2013.

A School Resource Officer is a sworn Metro Police Officer assigned to a school on a long-term basis to identify and address the underlying problems which may lead to disorder, ill-discipline and crime, and implement strategies to overcome these problems to make schools and their immediate surroundings safer.

US-based National Association of School Resource Officers (NASRO) are also currently working with the project team to share their expertise and to develop our SRO Pilot Project, including the training of SROs next week.