St. Cloud police suspend school resource officer program
Sep. 1—ST. CLOUD — The St. Cloud Police Department has suspended the school resource officer program with St. Cloud Area School District 742.
The move comes in response to a provision in the new Minnesota state education bill that authorizes school employees or agents to use "reasonable force when it is necessary ... to restrain a student to prevent bodily harm or death."
"Due to the recent legislative changes ... the City of St. Cloud is indefinitely suspending the Joint Powers Agreement (JPA) and other contracted Police Officer services with District 742," Police Chief Jeff Oxton wrote in a statement sent to media outlets at 5 p.m. Friday, Sept. 1.
"This JPA established the current SRO program and the contracting of St. Cloud Police Officers to work security at school related games/events. The suspension of the JPA will effectively eliminate the SRO position within the St. Cloud Police Department along with in-school programming and services provided by those positions."
It was unclear from the statement when the suspension would take effect. St. Cloud LIVE left a message for Oxton late Friday afternoon.
The police department stated in a social media post on Wednesday, Aug. 30, that it would be a few days before a decision was made.
In an Aug. 23 letter, the Minnesota Police and Peace Officers Association said the law puts school resource officers at risk for legal action. Some law enforcement agencies have said they fear an officer could lose their license if they wrongly restrain a student.
The
Moorhead Police Department
became the first in the state to remove its officers from schools when it made that announcement on Aug. 24, the first day of classes for Moorhead Area Public Schools.
In St. Joseph, Police Chief Dwight Pfannenstein will ask the City Council on Tuesday, Sept. 5, to remove school resource officers from those schools. His request is a motion to suspend indefinitely the JPA with the St. Cloud Area School District.
"The City of St. Joseph does not have a dedicated SRO," the city agenda says. "However, review from legal in respective departments of WPPD and SCPD has been to suspend the JPA with the district indefinitely because the JPA blankets the entire department as agents of the school."
District 742 responded to the St. Cloud Police Department SRO suspension late Friday afternoon.
"In the Greater St. Cloud Area, our relationships with local police departments have existed for many years," Superintendent Laurie Putnam said in a news release, "and we greatly appreciate and value the support our School Resource Officers provide."
The release noted that law enforcement would be present during the school day and at public school-sponsored events when it is determined there is a need for public safety support.
"However, officers will likely be in full uniform and no longer engage in educational programming," the release stated.
