Tools that support school resource officers
An SRO is one person on a campus with hallways and entrances to look after. The officer works alongside administrators, front-office staff, counselors and custodians. The tools that help are the ones that help this whole team know what is happening, so the right person can go.
VOLT supports school staff and SROs in getting the right people to the right place at the right time. It adds to the team's awareness. It does not replace or reduce officers or staff.
What SROs and staff can't see on their own
One officer can't watch every hallway. School cameras cover wide areas, but footage is only useful if someone is looking at the right screen at the right moment. Screens can go unwatched while the SRO is in a classroom, at the gate or in a meeting.
How camera notifications help the team
VOLT is built to notice moments: a fall, a possible fight, someone where they shouldn't be.
When VOLT notices one of these moments, it sends a notification with the camera view and the location, such as "Person detected after hours" at a side entrance or "Crowd forming" near the cafeteria. Every notification is human verified.
Your school decides who receives each type of notification. A "Possible fight" notification may go to the assistant principal and the SRO. A "Person detected after hours" notification may go to the custodial lead. The SRO sees what is relevant to the officer's role and isn't asked to watch screens.
Working with the cameras you already have
VOLT is built to run on the cameras you already have.
That means the SRO and staff can start from the coverage the school already has, rather than waiting on new hardware.
Questions to agree on with your SRO
- Which notification types should reach the SRO, and which should go to administrators or other staff first?
- Who is the backup when the SRO is off campus or on leave?
- How does the SRO share what happened after a notification, and with whom?
- How do the school's existing agreements with the police or sheriff's department describe the SRO's role? VOLT doesn't change that agreement.
- How will you review the setup together after the first weeks?
How the role is defined
Federal law defines a school resource officer as a career law enforcement officer, with sworn authority, deployed in community-oriented policing, and assigned by the employing police department or agency to work in collaboration with schools and community-based organizations. Source: 34 U.S.C. 10389
For a plain-language guide to the role, read our post on what SRO means.
Public resources for SRO programs:
See it with your team
Bring your SRO and your safety lead to a short walkthrough on your own cameras.