*Deputy Sheriff - School Resource Officer

Orange County Sheriff's Office Youth Services Section

Starting salary: $70,437.26/yr or $73,254.76/yr with 4+ years of full-time law enforcement officer experience.

Minimum Requirements & Essential Functions

The Orange County Sheriff's Office Youth Services Section has been honored as the 2025 Agency of the Year by the Florida Association of School Resource Officers (FASRO)! $5,000 Signing Allowance (see Salary info for details). The incumbent in this position must be committed to being involved with children in middle/high school or community based programs. The incumbent in this position is also responsible for working with the school principal, teachers, and staff to assist in the development of plans and strategies to prevent and/or minimize dangerous situations. They are also responsible for providing presentations to groups, especially in a classroom setting. The incumbent is required to engage in the pursuit, apprehension, and arrest of law violators or suspected law violators, if observed or when assistance is requested from dispatch or other deputy sheriffs.

• Must be Florida LEO Certified: Must have successfully completed the Florida Law Enforcement Officer Certification or Equivalency of Training from a Florida law enforcement academy. You must achieve a passing score on the Florida law enforcement certification exam, possess a good work history, must have a clean background, and a good driving history.
• Must have two (2) years continuous law enforcement experience at the same agency with at least one (1) year in uniform patrol -OR- two (2) years continuous law enforcement SRO experience -OR- two (2) years continuous service as an Orange County Sheriff's Office Reserve Deputy II. Exclusions: Prison, Corrections, and Court Services Experience. Military and Federal Law Enforcement will be evaluated on a case by case basis.
• Good verifiable work History
• Must be able to comprehend and communicate fluently in verbal and written English.
• High School or GED diploma (will not accept a certificate of completion)
• At least 20 years of age
• U.S. Citizen
• Valid driver's license for the last year.
• Must not have been convicted of a felony.
• Must not have been convicted of a misdemeanor involving moral character, false statements, perjury or domestic violence.
• Must not have received a dishonorable discharge from the United States Armed Forces
• No illegal drug usage within the last year. Other drug usage will be evaluated on a case by case basis.
• Good physical condition
• Vision of 20/40 corrected or better
• Ability to assist the school, faculty, students, and parents with problems of a law enforcement or crime prevention nature and is readily accessible for conferences. Will also be available to school staff and highly visible during school hours.
• Ability to up-hold laws under the control of the Orange County Sheriff's Office (OCSO).
• Ability to take initial reports of criminal offenses and conducts follow-up investigations.
• Ability to attend and participate in after school activities (e.g., parent/faculty meetings to solicit support and understanding of program) and sporting activities.
• Ability to provide lectures in the classroom on the subject of law awareness. May be required to teach one class a day, depending on the assignment.
• Ability to encourage individual and small group discussions with students, based on material presented in class, to further establish rapport.
• Ability to act as a resource person for youth and their families and makes referrals when necessary.
• Ability to submit monthly stats.
• Must also meet the job qualifications and specifications of a deputy and also be able to perform the duties, responsibilities, and essential functions as described in the deputy sheriff job description.
• Must possess above average interpersonal skills, customer service skills, interviewing skills, and the ability to get along with all types of people, including OCPS Police, school principals, teachers and staff.
• Ability to interpret and write reports and correspondence.
• Ability to organize and deliver an effective presentation in front of audiences varying in size.
• Must have patience and the ability to demonstrate care and concern for students and citizens. This work requires effective teaching, writing, and organizational skills.
• Ability to testify in court and depositions.
• Ability to work with limited supervision and demonstrate self-initiative.
• Familiar with all community agencies which offer assistance to youth and their families, such as mental health clinics, drug treatment centers, etc. Familiarity with the school board contract with the Sheriff's Office preferred.
• Ability to attend and complete relevant training.
• Must have basic computer skills to include word processing, spreadsheet, and database applications (e.g., Word, Excel, Access).
• Must be able to meet and to perform same mental requirements as set forth in the deputy sheriff job description.
• The mental requirements described in the deputy sheriff job description are representative but not inclusive of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.

Processing & Training

All candidates for SRO positions will participate in the following steps:

• Online application
• Voice Stress Analysis (truth verification)
• Complete Background Check
• Medical exam & drug screen (after conditional job offer)
• Psychological Evaluation (after conditional job offer)
• Sign an SRO Contract committing to a minimum of two (2) years of service as an SRO

Processing time on average is 3-5 months.

All SRO's must sign a contract committing to a minimum of two (2) years of SRO service. The two (2) years of service for the contract starts on the date of assignment to the SRO Section. Assignment to SRO Unit begins with the employee completing Field Training and Evaluation Program Phase 2 [twelve (12) weeks/bi-weekly – six (6) daily observation reports] and Phase 3 [five (5) months]. Once the employee has been assigned to SRO Unit a total of two (2) years, the employee is eligible to submit his/her request for transfer to a different agency unit.

Newly hired certified Deputy Sheriff - SRO must participate in Deputy Orientation. This 6.5-week program covers all high liability areas, including driving, shooting, defensive tactics, and agency policies and procedures. After successfully completing Deputy Orientation, new Deputy - SRO will complete 14 weeks in the Field Training and Evaluation Program Phase 1. This one-on-one training with a certified Field Training Officer ensures that all new Deputies - SRO are fully prepared to be a solo deputy. New hires with prior law enforcement experience may be eligible for an accelerated Field Training and Evaluation Program, but still must complete the 6.5-week Deputy Orientation. Once BRT and FTEP is completed, the SRO will be assigned to the SRO Section and receive SRO Positional Training. The SRO will also receive training for Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) and Basic School Resource Officer during the first year of assignment. If previously certified in CIT and/or Basic School Resource Officer Training, the training will not be repeated. Training for a rehired Deputy Sheriff that has been separated from the agency less than a year excludes BRT and FTEP. However, a two week check ride in Uniform Patrol will be required. If the rehired Deputy Sheriff has been separated from the agency one year or more, their training will include BRT and FTEP. All rehired Deputy Sheriffs must complete the SRO Positional Training, CIT and Basic School Resource Officer.

Some deputies pursue the supervisory and management track through competitive testing. In order to become eligible for promotion, the SRO must successfully complete Phase 2 & 3 of Field Training and Evaluation Program while assigned in the SRO Unit along with meeting the agency promotional requirements.

Physical Demands & Work Environment

Physical Demands While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit, stand, walk, balance, stoop, kneel, talk, hear, use hands to handle and feel, and reach with hands and arms. The employee is frequently required to climb, crouch, crawl, and lift and/or move up to twenty-five (25) pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, color vision, distance vision, peripheral vision, depth perception