Lawrence Police Student Resource Officer Matt Sarna talks with students at Free State High School in this file photo.

They walk the halls of Lawrence schools often unnoticed, but now Lawrence’s school resource officers are receiving national recognition for their work.

Several members of the Lawrence Police just returned from Phoenix, where they were presented with the Model School Resource Officer Agency of the Year award.

The department was one of five nationwide to receive the honor from the 8,500-member National Association of School Resource Officers.

“It’s a great thing for the SROs,” Capt. Dan Ward said. “They’ve been working hard and expanding the program ever since its inception, and they’ve been recognized for their hard work.”

The first school resource officer started at Lawrence High School in 1995. Four officers were added to the middle schools as part of a federal grant in 2002.

There are now six school resource officers in Lawrence public schools providing on-site security, law enforcement-related education and informal counseling to students.

“They’re there basically to make the place as safe as possible so it’s a good learning environment,” Ward said. “They’re there also to be a role model and mentor for the children.”

In addition to their time spent in the schools, Lawrence SROs also run a summer police camp that up to 60 children attend, and are involved in a seventh-grade football program created and staffed by Lawrence police officers.

They work on the department’s initiatives to reduce underage drinking and have also taught Internet safety classes.

“Obviously there are things you can measure, like the number of crimes they take reports on, or the number of classes they teach,” Ward said. “But there are a lot of things you can’t put a finger on: how many kids they touch that would go the wrong way if they didn’t have the role model.”