New Law To Require Certification For School Resource Officers

ROMEOVILLE, IL — New legislation backed by state Rep. John Connor, a Lockport Democrat whose district office is in Romeoville, will require school resource officers across Illinois to get special training certifications. The law, which goes into effect in January, will require the Illinois Law Enforcement Training Standards Board to develop a special 40-hour certification program for the school-based officers to provide special training in child and adolescent psychology, mental health, trauma intervention, conflict resolution and child abuse prevention, according to a press release.

"With violence in schools occurring more often, the safety and wellbeing of our students is more important than ever," Connor said in a prepared statement. "By requiring a specific training program to be developed to aid school resource officers, we're taking more steps to ensure that our children feel safe and happy in their schools."

(For more stories like this, subscribe to Patch for daily newsletters and breaking news alerts. You can also download the free Patch app for iPhone and Android.)

Senate Bill 2925 will require school resources officers to be recertified every four years. Connor said he's hopeful that the required training will improve the safety of schools in Romeoville and across the state.

"By allowing our school resource officers to be better equipped to handle the reeds of our students, we're creating a safe space and a better environment for children and adolescents to learn and develop social skills," Connor said.

Image via Shutterstock