Sec. 2. (a) A school resource officer may be employed:

(1) by one (1) or more school corporations or charter schools through a contract between a local law enforcement agency and the school corporation or school corporations or the charter school or charter schools;

Terms Used In Indiana Code 20-26-18.2-2

  • Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
  • Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
  • school resource officer: means a law enforcement officer who:

    Indiana Code 20-26-18.2-1

(2) by one (1) or more school corporations or charter schools;

(3) by a local law enforcement agency that assigns the school resource officer to one (1) or more school corporations or charter schools through a memorandum of understanding between the local law enforcement agency and the school corporation or school corporations or the charter school or charter schools; or

(4) through a contract between an Indiana business that employs persons who meet the qualifications of a school resource officer and the school corporation or school corporations or the charter school or charter schools.

     (b) This subsection does not apply to a school corporation that only has full-time school resource officers who are either employees of the school corporation’s school police department or are employees of the school corporation who have successfully completed the law enforcement basic training requirements described in IC 5-2-1-9(d). After June 30, 2023, if a school corporation or charter school enters into a contract for a school resource officer, the school corporation or charter school must enter into a memorandum of understanding with the law enforcement agency that employs or appointed the law enforcement officer who will perform the duties of a school resource officer. The memorandum of understanding must state the nature and scope of a school resource officer’s duties and responsibilities. A school resource officer’s duties and responsibilities include the duty to assist the school corporation’s or charter school’s school safety specialists and safe school committees with the development and implementation of school safety plans.

     (c) A school resource officer shall consult with local law enforcement officials and first responders when assisting the school corporation’s or charter school’s school safety specialists and safe school committees in the development of the school safety plan.

     (d) A school resource officer shall participate in the development and implementation of programs designed to identify, assess, and provide assistance to youth who are at high risk of experiencing a mental health crisis or becoming juvenile offenders.

     (e) A school resource officer may not be reassigned to other duties by the school corporation.

As added by P.L.172-2013, SEC.7. Amended by P.L.44-2019, SEC.1; P.L.211-2019, SEC.22; P.L.272-2019, SEC.4; P.L.139-2022, SEC.11; P.L.150-2023, SEC.22; P.L.200-2023, SEC.6; P.L.250-2023, SEC.21.