One Month Since Return, Robbinsdale and Wayzata Schools See Impact of SROs
Now that school resource officers are back in schools, are schools seeing a difference?
Police departments contract with school districts to provide security services inside school buildings. But just as important, local police see it as a way to build trust and form bonds with area youth.
Departments across the northwest suburbs, including Plymouth, New Hope, Maple Grove and Brooklyn Park, pulled their officers out of schools due to concerns about a law that the Minnesota Legislature approved last year.
The legislation banned certain types of physical restraints inside schools. Police officers felt the law created two sets of standards for permissible use of force – one for police working outside of schools and another for officers contracted to work inside school buildings.
“We did have some concerns about how the officers would be able to do their jobs effectively and keep people safe in schools while working as a school resource officer,” said Plymouth Police Chief Erik Fadden.
As a result, departments pulled their officers out of schools as the school year began. It wasn’t until March before the issue was resolved and lawmakers approved a fix. The updated law allowed police officers to work under one standard and no longer defined them as an “employee or agent” of a school district.
Since Plymouth officers returned in April to schools in the Robbinsdale and Wayzata district, Fadden said he has already seen issues dissipate.
“As the school year went on, you could really feel it, with the number of issues that were coming up and stuff rises to the level of calling 911 in a school vs. ‘Hey, I’m going to walk down and talk to the SRO because I know they’re in their office,’ Fadden said at this week’s Plymouth City Council meeting. “So really in the last month that our SRO have been back in the schools, both Robbinsdale schools and Wayzata schools, we’ve seen those issues already start to decrease, because we’re there.”
Plymouth Police Chief Erik Fadden gives city council update Tuesday on school resource officers.
The Plymouth City Council this week approved an SRO contract with the Robbinsdale Area School District for the remainder of the school year. The last day of school in that district is June 5.
“We are happy that both school districts agreed to and are really happy to welcome our SROs back with open arms,” said Fadden.
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