Version 4: The components listed below constitute the NYPD School Safety Officer Course (formerly known as Basic Course for Peace Officers Without Firearms; also known as School Safety Recruit Training) conducted by the New York City Police Academy. This intensive program consists of classroom instruction and field instruction. Due to the integrated nature of the curriculum, the descriptions, which appear below, reflect the major themes that thread through the program and correspond to content areas and course titles within degree programs where credit may be awarded. Students must successfully complete all components listed below that comprise the NYPD School Safety Officer Course to access credit recommendations.

1. School Police Patrol Operations
Instruction: This component provides the specific functions of the roles and responsibilities of the school safety officer (peace officer) working within the Department of Education’s school facilities. Recruits are introduced to the Department of Education’s hierarchy structure as well school governance at the local level and citywide level. Recruits are educated in; the various forms of school patrol initiatives, visitor control procedures, field communications, metal detection and scanning. Recruits also train on live equipment during workshops. (Credit recommendation: In the lower division baccalaureate/associate degree category, 3 semester hours in Police Science or Criminal Justice).

2. Physical Education
Part 1: Foundations of Physical Fitness
Part 2: Defensive Tactics
Part 3: American Heart Association Basic Life Support
Instruction: Part 1: Major topics include: Survey of physiological, psychological, and sociological aspects of physical fitness; neuro­muscular skill and biomechanics, scientific approach toward assessing entry-level overall physical fitness, and methods of improving and maintaining physical fitness; role of physical conditioning, nutrition, and basic health habits. Part 2: Major topics include: theory, skills, and practice of judo, karate, and techniques from selected martial arts including basic blows, throws, blocks and defenses; application of these skills to combative situations. Defense skills necessary to protect oneself when securing an arrest and confinement are also stressed, including unarmed self-defense. Part 3: Major topics include: theory and practice of first aid procedures in emergency situations (shock, wounds, heart attacks, strokes) and extrications in dangerous situations; instruction in basic skills of cardio­pulmonary resuscitation, including use of automatic external defibrillators. American Red Cross certification in Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation is issued. (Credit Recommendation: Part 1: In the lower division baccalaureate/associate degree category, 2 semester hours in Physical Education. Part 2: In the lower division baccalaureate/associate degree category, 2 semester hours in Physical Education Activity Elective.Part 3 :In the lower division baccalaureate/associate degree category, 1 semester hour in Physical Education).

3. Procedural Law

Instruction:This component is a survey of the statutory law, judicial decisions, and administrative policies that define a school safety officer’s (peace officer’s) authority to arrest, to use force. The steps in the judicial processes initiated when school safety officers (peace officers) effect arrests are discussed. (Credit recommendation: In the lower division baccalaureate/associate degree category, 3 semester hours in Introduction to Law, Police Science or Criminal Justice).

4. School Policing Crisis Intervention

Instruction:This component provides practical applications of theory and police department procedure designed to assist school safety officers (peace officers) in interacting effectively and humanely with children and adolescents, crime victims, suspects, and parties to disputes, family violence, and other interpersonal crises. (Credit recommendation: In the lower division baccalaureate/associate degree category, 2 semester hours in Police Science or Criminal Justice).

5. School Police Field Problems

Instruction:This component covers the various types of field problems that a school safety officer (peace officer) may have to respond to in a school facility. The school safety officer’s (peace officer’s) ability to protect lives, rights, and property while responding to critical events, such as disorders and reports of violent crimes in progress is stressed. Emphasis is placed on establishing and maintaining a working collaboration between the school safety officer (peace officer) and the Department of Education school administrators.   Role plays and debriefings are provided.  (Credit recommendation: In the lower division baccalaureate/associate degree category, 2 semester hours in Police Science or Criminal Justice).

6. School Police Investigation and Reporting
Instruction:This component covers the proper selection, preparation, and use of Department of Education, police department and other governmental reports to facilitate proactive security operation within school facilities, police crime-fighting and order maintenance tasks; computer applications in school police investigations, emphasizing access to official data bases.(Credit recommendation: In the lower division baccalaureate/associate degree category, 2 semester hours in Police Science or Criminal Justice).

7. School Policing in a Democracy
Instruction: This component is an introduction to the role of the school safety officer (peace officer) in the school communities that they will serve with emphasis on the legal and ethical bases of their legal authority and accountability. Law enforcement professionalism and responsiveness to a diverse and changing community; structure of the NYPD and School Safety Division; and the statutory, judicial, and administrative mechanisms that define and enforce the limits of law enforcement discretion are emphasized. (Credit recommendation: In the lower division baccalaureate/associate degree category, 2 semester hours in Police Science or Criminal Justice).

8. School Policing Special Populations
Instruction: Detailed examinations of problems and issues presented by major subpopulations within the vast New York City Department of Education, and of the effects upon school safety officers (peace officers) of constant exposure to troubled people; identification and analysis of strategies and techniques useful during interactions with children and adolescents, families of missing persons, the mentally and emotionally disturbed, and other people in crisis; discussion of techniques and departmental services available to school safety officers (peace officers) suffering from job or other personal stress. (Credit recommendation: In the lower division baccalaureate/associate degree category, 2 semester hours in Police Science or Criminal Justice).

9. Substantive Law
Instruction: This component provides an analysis of the theories and reasoning underlying laws that define specific criminal offenses, with detailed treatment of major crime categories encountered by school safety officers (peace officers). Components of weapons laws, drug offenses, crimes against persons, including domestic violence, larceny and property offenses, including theft, and offenses against public order and the public trust are discussed. (Credit recommendation: In the lower division baccalaureate/associate degree category, 3 semester hours in Introduction to Law, Police Science or Criminal Justice).

10. Terrorism Awareness and Emergency Preparedness Instruction: This component identifies the fundamental and underlying reasons why America and specifically New York City is a target for terrorists, framed in a discussion of the differences among various terrorist organizations and their terrorist tactics, and the ideological bases for terrorism.  Additionally, the course discusses the various government agencies that are involved in fighting terrorism and the importance of front-line law enforcement in obtaining and forwarding intelligence to investigating federal, state, and local agencies. Students are briefed daily on local and global events as to their potential effect on patrolling a very diverse school population. Emphasis is also placed on the active shooter phenomenon in particular school shootings and Tactical Combat Casualty Care medical triage. (Credit recommendation: In the lower division baccalaureate/associate degree category, 2 semester hours in Police Science or Criminal Justice).