歪歪漫画

WILLMAR 鈥� Willmar City Council in a split 7-1 vote Tuesday approved beginning the process to terminate the Willmar Police Department school resource officer agreement with Willmar Public 歪歪漫画s. Councilor Audrey Nelsen voted against the termination of the contract.

Police Chief Jim Felt assured the council that the Police Department will continue to provide officers to the schools to keep students and staff safe as long as the school allows it, but that the department can no longer contract with and be paid by the school without being considered an 鈥渁gent of the district.鈥�

A new law passed during the 2023 Minnesota legislative session designates school resource officers working under contract with schools as 鈥渁gents of the district鈥� when the school is reimbursing the department for the service provided, according to Felt.

As 鈥渁gents of the district,鈥� school resource officers are limited by the new legislation from performing certain common physical control techniques that, according to Felt's explanation to the council, have all been time-tested, medically tested and tactically accepted as control techniques when performed as instructed and under policy.

鈥淭he results of the legislation is creating a second standard for our SROs when functioning in the schools, with students or even school events when being paid through a school district contract,鈥� he said. 鈥淣ow an officer as 鈥榓gent of the school鈥� would need to try to quickly sort those issues out in potentially high-stress and rapidly changing and dynamic scenarios.鈥�

Felt and Capt. Mike Anderson met with Superintendent Jeff Holm and Assistant Superintendent Bill Adams to discuss a mutual contract suspension, offering a solution that was backed by City Administrator Leslie Valiant and City Attorney Robert Scott 鈥� that the school not reimburse the city for the school resource officer services, thus removing the 鈥渁gent of the district鈥� designation and allowing these officers to retain their full law enforcement authority.

鈥淚t was fully explained that we would not leave the schools unprotected, would not discontinue many support and educational programs, and the visibility of the SRO program would largely go unnoticed,鈥� Felt said. 鈥淲e left that meeting believing we had a mutual agreement and that the city and school attorney would be drafting that agreement.鈥�

However, the following day, the Police Department was notified that the school district would not allow that type of agreement and expected the city to follow through on the current contract, which extends to the end of the 2023-24 school year, according to Felt.

鈥淎dditional discussions were unsuccessful and, regretfully, I bring before you tonight the recommendation to start the process of contract termination,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e feel that in the absence of an immediate contract suspension, it is necessary to do so to provide the best services and safety we can to the public, and best protect our officers.鈥�

The current contract states that either party can terminate the contract with a 90-day notification. Terminating the contract 鈥渆nsures that SROs will retain their full police authorities and abilities and provide the best services and safety to the students,鈥� according to Felt.

鈥淲e intend to keep our SROs in the schools as long as the school will allow; however, there may be some modifications that will be very strategic, measured and communicated fully to the school with safety at the forefront,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e remain fully committed to the safety of all students, faculty and staff throughout the process.鈥�

During the 90 days in which the contract continues to be in place, school resource officers have been given new procedures under which to operate in order to prevent them from violating the new laws, which means they are operating under different procedures than their fellow officers, according to Felt.

The new procedures dictate what types of interactions they can have with students. If any type of physical interaction is needed for an unruly student, a patrol officer is to be called to the school, Felt explained.