29 August 2023
ALEXANDRIA For almost a decade, School Resource Officers have been building rapport and providing security at Discovery Middle School and Alexandria Area High School.
That may end.
At Monday night’s Alexandria City Council meeting, Police Chief Scott Kent and City Attorney Tom Jacobson informed the council about a new state law that will not allow school resources officers or SROs to restrain a student unless it is necessary to prevent bodily harm or death to the student or another person.
The new law is part of the education bill that limits the use of force by SROs and contracted officers.
Schools in other cities, including Moorhead, have already canceled their SRO contracts because they believe the new law puts officers’ lives at risk, may escalate dangerous situations and cause more damage, according to Jacobson, who suggested putting the SRO agreement with the school district on hold.
“The SRO program simply can’t continue,” he said. “There’s too much risk and uncertainty.”
Jacobson told the council about how some hypothetical situations would unfold with the new law in place. A student could start a disturbance in the lunchroom by screaming and throwing food trays on the floor. Because this behavior doesn’t involve a risk of bodily harm or death, the SRO is not allowed to use force, even if it appears that the offense will continue. “The officer would have to just sit and watch what would happen,” he said.
In another scenario, if a student started breaking windows, the SRO could use reasonable force to restrain the student because the broken glass could cause injuries, Jacobson said.
Neither Kent nor Jacobson asked for action the night of the meeting. They said they will work with the school district, the council and the community to figure out how to work around the new law. School in most Minnesota districts starts next Tuesday, Sept. 5.
“We’ve got to be real creative to make this work,” Jacobson said, adding that no one wants the officers to become “glorified hall monitors” under the new law’s use of force directives.
Mayor Bobbie Osterberg said the new law “strikes at the core of the SRO program its integrity.”
Council member Andrew Wiener agreed. “It can’t be overstated how importants SROs are,” he said.
Jacobson said that there is speculation about why the changes are being implemented. He said a certain segment of the population does not want officers in schools.
Kent said the SRO program has helped students gain a better understanding of police officers and the work they do.
“It’s too important to throw in the towel,” he said. “We will continue to work for a solution.”
The Alexandria Police Department has been providing police services for the district since the 2015-2016 school year, which included a three-quarters time officer at both Discovery Middle School and Alexandria Area High School.
In 2022, SROs generated about 680 calls for service to assist Alexandria Public Schools, according to a report Kent gave the council in February. Calls that officers handled included mental health, juvenile trouble, threats, fights/assaults, thefts, welfare checks, medicals, school traffic patrols, driving complaints, public assists, crashes and child protection.
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