A Bold New Direction / A Bold New Direction for APS Student Safety

A Bold New Direction for APS Safety and Security

With a new student-centered focus, Atlanta Public Schools will launch an in-house Office of Safety and Security in the 2016-2017 school year. The bold new step will include a new Police Department, Emergency Management as well as a Security Operations department. The Police Department will include School Resource Officers who philosophically align with the district’s social emotional learning approach, and a national TRIAD model that involves law enforcement officers serving as informal counselors and educators. The district’s new SROs will be assigned to middle and high schools to support students, staff and parents, and to secure its campuses.

The National Association of School Resource Officers is partnering with APS to facilitate SRO training, which involves positive behavior support interventions and other student-centered services such as social emotional learning and conflict resolution consistency. Additionally, the SROs will have staffing assignments and focused training to foster a safe, orderly teaching and learning environment in Atlanta Public Schools.