Our School Resource Officers (SROs) work collaboratively with our Campus Safety Officers (CSOs) and school administrative teams in the event of serious student discipline incidents and security needs. SROs differ from our CSOs as they are sworn law enforcement officers who remain under the jurisdiction of their police department and maintain that authority. SROs, especially those we welcome into our schools, have experience working with youths and participate in training focused on supporting students and school communities.

Campus Safety Officers (CSOs) oversee and monitor safety and the well-being of property, students, and staff at school sites within the School District. The CSOs enforce the West Chester Areas School District policies and procedures, individual school rules and regulations, and assist in the maintenance of an orderly and safe school environment.

Coming under the direction and reporting to the District Public Safety Manager and subordinate to the Principal of the school the CSO is assigned to, the CSOs chair the School Safety Team and work closely with the School Crisis Team to enhance a safe learning environment and support the School Multi-Hazard Plan as it relates to preparedness, mitigation, response, and recovery.

All CSOs employed by the District have completed the State required Basic School Resource Officer Course provided by the National Association of School Resource Officers (NASRO) or an equivalent training course approved by the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency.  In addition, our CSOs are certified in policies and procedures relating to emergency management and crisis response as dictated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the National Incident Management System (NIMS) Furthermore, all CSOs are ALICE Certified Instructors. ALICE Training is the original civilian active shooter response training that empowers schools to respond to a violent critical incident with confidence.

While all of the CSOs employed by the District are also trained in First Aid, CPR and AED, Stop-the-Bleed, Nonviolent Crisis Intervention (CPI), and Crime Prevention through Environmental Design (CPTED) many choose to specialize in a specific field and become certified instructors.

The Security Greeter (SG) is an integral part of the Districts Safety Department. Stationed at each high school, the Security Greeter welcomes families and visitors into the building, providing direction and answering informational questions.  Working cooperatively with the CSO, they assist in creating a welcoming atmosphere while maintaining the security and protection of all students, staff and property.

WCASD recently adopted the Navigate360 Visitor Management System currently in place in all of the District 17 schools.  The VMS requires visitors to register with the Security Greeter prior to entering the building.  The visitor's photo ID is scanned, which triggers a background check against certain publicly available databases. The system prints a badge once the background check is complete and the visitors must log out before they leave the building. Since all staff is required to prominently display their district-issued ID badge, any visitor without a printed VMS badge will be questioned by building staff and referred to the building administration.