The current SRO programs heavily rely on a retributive philosophy which portrays officers as authority figures. The retributive model has its own shortcomings in that it focuses on the assignment of guilt, law-breaking, and punishment. To address these shortcomings, the restorative model can be applied. The restorative philosophy works to repair the harm that is caused by misbehavior and crime and also make plans to avoid those crimes in the future.
The SRO model is commensurate to traditional community policing strategies which aim to make the relationship between law enforcers and the community stronger and hence making communities safer. The mission of SRO is to utilize stakeholders in the community e.g. teachers and students, so as to improve community policing. However, what is unclear is whether the aspects of law enforcement, counseling, and education are the best factors for the design of SRO.
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The restorative approach steps in to act as a backbone to the SRO model and hence making it stronger. This approach involves methods that help to achieve a better community policing philosophy which is more logical in trying to meet SRO objectives, clarify roles of individuals involved, train all stakeholders, and enable the SRO program to commensurate international trends. There are four ways that the restorative approach manages to do this.
The first catch that the restorative approach introduces is that it bridges that huge gap that currently exists between theory and practice when it comes to community policing. Evaluations indicate that administrators, students, and teachers among other stakeholders need to be involved more in the SRO model. The restorative policy is perfect for this as it provides ways that can be used to make community participation in the model better. It does this by looking at a community as not just an area but as an event.
Second, restorative justice provides a more logical philosophy to make schools safer. What makes this a catch is the fact that the logical philosophy being introduced does not clash with the retributive approach that is already in place. Restorative justice adds features that will help to promote vindication and accountability. It does this through various processes which include; addressing the needs of the victims and their harms, repairing these harms, getting offenders to take responsibility of their actions, and engage those involved in the conflict in creating a better future. Police officers who have used the restorative approach highly recommend it.
Adding to this, the restorative philosophy seeks to build supportive relationships based on trust with the aim of realizing social control through reduction of conflicting roles in the SRO model. If the restorative process is to be implemented correctly, law enforcers can legitimately prove their involvement in the SRO model. This reaffirms the confidence that police officers have in themselves and in the fact that they are also members of the communities they are trying to protect. Viewing a law enforcer as a member of the community and not an outside authority strengthens community policing.
Lastly, training of officers in areas that they seemingly have little or no experience can be made possible through restorative practices. Qualitative research indicates that officers are currently faced with difficulties being forced to address issues that they are not trained to address. For instance, the counseling role is a crucial part of the SRO model that police officers have little training in. The restorative approach will enable officers to be trained in areas such as affective questions, affective statements, and affective impromptu conferences. Such training will certainly help build the confidence that the police officers have in taking up the counseling role.
