School Resource Officers

The School Resource Officer (SRO) program is a nationally accepted program involving the placement of law enforcement officers within the educational system and reflects the commitment of the La Quinta Sheriff Department to the concept of Community Oriented Policing.

The School Resource Officer serves as a mentor, counselor, role model and advocate for students, parents, teachers and school administrators. The School Resource Officer, while at the school, is involved in a variety of functions and programs aimed at both crime prevention and intervention. In addition, the School Resource Officer conducts all criminal investigations on campus.

Another responsibility for the School Resource Officer is to link other service entities, which provide intervention and counseling services, in an effort to identify solutions to problems affecting school age children. School Resource Officers work closely with the county Probation Department and the Youth Accountability Team (Y.A.T.).

The School Resource Officer's duties extend beyond the school campus and normal school hours. The School Resource Officer may be called upon to participate in extracurricular activities, sporting events or social events. The presence of the officer is a distinct demonstration of the officer's commitment to the students and strengthens the relationships between the officer and students.

La Quinta Police Cadet Academy

The La Quinta Sheriff Cadet Academy is a four week program for kids in the La Quinta area that are interested in Law Enforcement, Military and Public Service. This program is not a boot camp for troubled teens and we do not generally accept applicants that have an extensive discipline history as we find it takes away from the overall goals of the academy.

This program is a partnership between the City of La Quinta and the La Quinta Sheriff Department. There is no cost to the cadets as the entire cost of the academy is covered by the City of La Quinta. The cadets will be provided with daily snacks, drinks, water bottles, uniforms and all necessary equipment to participate in the program.

During the program the cadets will participate in police and service related activities including: Physical training, SWAT demonstration, First Aid, Bomb Squad demonstration, Firearms demonstration, Canine demonstrations, Forensics training, Narcotics training, Alcohol Awareness training, Defensive Tactics and many other topics. The cadets will also be taken on multiple field trips including traveling to the Marine Corps Recruit Depot in San Diego and the Ben Clark Training Center in Riverside and/or The Palm Springs Aerial Tramway.

Cadets are taught the value of integrity, honor, courage, commitment and teamwork. The Academy is taught by current Law Enforcement Officers. Other Academy staff members are comprised of the Sheriff’s Explorer POST 503 from the Thermal Sheriff’s Station.

At the conclusion of the Academy, the cadets will participate in a graduation ceremony. They will be presented with a certificate of completion. Family members of the cadets are encouraged to attend. If you are interested please contact the Thermal Station at 760-863-8990.

Children in grades 6^th through 8^th who attend the following schools can participate: Colonel Mitchell Paige Middle; La Quinta Middle and John Glenn Middle. The students can obtain applications from the front desk of their school site when they are available. We advise the students to turn applications in as soon as possible as the spots fill up quickly.