St. Cloud Police Department “Indefinitely Suspends” Joint Powers Agreement to Provide School Resource Officers to District 742 Buildings

(KNSI) — The St. Cloud Police Department is indefinitely suspending the Joint Powers Agreement, “and other contracted Police Officer services with District 742,” which provides six school resource officers inside district buildings.

This past session, the Minnesota Legislature changed the school discipline laws, which “limits or prohibits an SRO’s ability to physically intervene, de-escalate situations, separate fighting students, restrain/control fighting students or hold aggressors on the floor.”

According to a press release from the St. Cloud Police Department, it was decided to terminate the agreement “after much legal consultation and recommendations with the League of Minnesota Cities and other legal entities that provide legal direction for policing in our state.

“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. Ultimately the reason for the indefinite suspension is that the amended provisions of the statutes are contrary to the use of force standards for Police Officers.”

The release says, “The City of St. Cloud and the St. Cloud Police Department have an outstanding working relationship with District 742 Administration and staff. We are proud of the collaborative work our SRO’s and school staff have historically accomplished in the schools and look forward to the day we can return to this level of service.”

The SRO program with St. Cloud police and District 742 has grown from one officer to six plus a Sergeant. The relationship goes back 30 years, according to officials.

Officers will still respond to emergency calls and other calls for service at school buildings, but this decision means there will not be an officer stationed inside District 742 school buildings. Police officers will work school-related special events “where a public safety need exists. However, these police officer services will not be under contract or paid for by any other entity.”

The St. Cloud Police Department says, “We look forward to re-implementing this program as soon as the law has been changed to eliminate the ambiguity and conflict with other governing laws and policies, all of which were created when the new legislation went into effect.”

That happened on August 1st.

Governor Tim Walz signed the bill into law in May. He has been asked by legislators to call a special session to deal with the fallout, as roughly a dozen districts in Minnesota have ended their SRO programs in recent days.

Per an official with the Sartell St. Stephen School District, SROs will be stationed in those buildings when the bell rings for classes next week. The Stearns County Sheriff’s Office also told KNSI News that their officers contracted to districts to provide SRO services have already begun their duties or will next week.

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