School resource officers are police officers assigned to a school. A bill was signed into law this year to clarify exactly what that means. What does that look like for Robbinsdale Area Schools?
Last year, part of the Education Omnibus Bill changed some laws concerning schools, including adding language to the legislature which stated “an employee or agent of a district, including a school resource officer, security personnel, or police officer contracted with a district, shall not use prone restraint.” A prone restraint is defined as “placing a child in a face-down position.”
It also said those employees or agents “shall not inflict any form of physical holding that restricts or impairs a pupil’s ability to breathe; restricts or impairs a pupil’s ability to communicate distress; places pressure or weight on a pupil’s head, throat, neck, chest, lungs, sternum, diaphragm, back, or abdomen; or results in straddling a pupil’s torso.”
Many police departments found the language confusing because it labels officers as agents of the district instead of their respective police department and because it conflicts with another statute. Minnesota Statute 609.06 allows for reasonable use of force and “deadly force,” including chokeholds, “to protect the peace officer or another from death or great bodily harm.”
The Plymouth Police Department, and later the New Hope Police Department, pulled their officers from schools.
Then the School Board of District 281 approved contracts with Golden Valley and Robbinsdale, but their police departments have not had adequate staffing to supply any SROs.
Since then, a new bill clarified the role and created a model policy for police. Officers are explicitly not agents of the schools and they can follow Minnesota Statute 609.06.
Rep. Cedrick Frazier (DFL-New Hope) was chief author on the new bill.
“I want to thank all Minnesotans who shared their voices on this issue for their dedication, advocacy, and collaboration in refining the SRO bill for the betterment of our students, educators, and school resource officers,” Frazier said. “Their expertise will be invaluable as the POST Board develops the ‘model policy.’ This standardized framework will leverage the most effective, research-based practices for safe and dignified intervention, ensuring clarity and consistency for students, parents, educators, and resource officers. The model policy will promote transparency, set clear expectations for all involved, and foster accountability through consistent implementation and evaluation.”
School board to vote on policies
At the Monday, April 15, meeting of the school board , after this issue went to press, school board members were scheduled to vote on the new SRO policy. The police chiefs from New Hope, Robbinsdale, Plymouth and Crystal have met with District 281 School Board, staff, and the interim-superintendent over the past several weeks and updated them on legislative changes to the SRO law.
The Robbinsdale and Golden Valley Police Departments do not have the staffing to post SROs at Robbinsdale and Sandburg Middle Schools. FAIR Crystal has not requested an SRO because of a lower enrollment. The other middle and high schools could be equipped with SROs by the end of the year.
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