School resource officers in North Carolina serve as peace officers who prevent violence, teachers who instruct students in areas of their expertise, counselors who serve as conduits to community resources, and positive role models for students. School resource officer programs are one of the more efficient and effective ways to do preventive, community policing. They produce savings in court costs by handling most incidents without the use of court and ensuring that the cases that do come to court are soundly prepared. Establishing a school resource officer program requires careful thinking about how to structure the program, together with planning for the long term. Planning steps include identifying the critical mass of local leadership, conducting orientation meetings, developing a working plan, obtaining funding, educating the community, and establishing the implementation task force. Implementing and sustaining the program require numerous additional steps. Figures, notes, and 22 references