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In an era of open school enrollment;  where districts are competing for enrollees, usually by touting their uniqueness;  Chisago Lakes and North Branch communities can boast of offering something that seven in 10 schools in Minnesota are not providing:  a school resource officer.

The 2013-14 report “Law Enforcement in Minnesota Schools” found that only 28 percent of schools employ a full or part time SRO.

Lakes Area Police Officer Tom Haller works at Chisago Lakes High School,  Jordan Kolbow serves at the middle school.  North Branch Police Officer Tim Olson is the SRO for the North Branch District.

Their wages are supported during the months that school is in session by their district.  Chisago Lakes SROs are fulltime and North Branch has Olson for 20 hours a week.
 
In 1991 the state legislature gave districts a special levy for “crime related” expenditures.  According to the MN Dept of Public Safety Office of Justice Programs, the very first school liaison ever hired was for Flint, Michigan schools in 1958.

North Branch’s Olson serves on the MN Juvenile Officers’ Association Board, and has the most SRO experience of the three, with two tours combined for about nine years.  As a rookie, hired by then-North Branch Chief Jules Zimmer,  Olson came to town 12 years ago at the same time a school liaison post was also being filled.  When that guy didn’t work out, the chief tapped Olson.  

He remembers thinking that working with students was not why he’d gotten his badge. But he quickly turned around and realized having a relationship with the schools was a valuable pro-active law enforcement tool. It afforded access to a populace, during their formative years, and he enjoys what the job entails.  For a time,  he teamed with Officer Wayne Schwalbe,  but is now solo. The first years were funded by a grant.

Olson is not alone saying he enjoys being an SRO;  75 percent of the survey respondents volunteered to be work in schools.

Olson remarked, “I hope they know I’m not here just to yell at them.  These kids make mistakes...this (SRO program) is a little different aspect to law enforcement... we let them know that it’s where they go from this point in their life that makes all the difference.”

Olson has this 6X8 windowless cement-wall office that’s more like a bunker.  In fact, it has sheltered many students asking for help with family turmoil or getting something off their chest.
 
Being an SRO means wearing many different hats.

Asked to contrast Chisago Lakes and North Branch school community situations, he said there are differences. The North Branch district is more segmented with stand alone communities in Harris and Stacy, he said, and the district still has more of a rural-culture.  His sense is that he’s working more often with sheriff personnel investigating incidents than the Lakes Area SROs probably do.  

The two programs don’t operate in a vacuum. Infrequently, Olson will visit a Chisago Lakes building and walk around to guage security measures and see how staff respond.

SROs are the go-to people for developing drills, designing lockdowns and identifying needed security measures.  The departments share what they learn with each other and attend state training events where they can network.  

Chisago Lakes officers also work with Pathways to Change alternative education facility and Wolf Creek on-line school campus in Chisago City.  

Kolbow, who is in his first year as SRO with Lakes Area Police,  is soon being trained in DARE curriculum to help in elementary classes.

Olson also gets out to other schools as a guest instructor for a sixth grade health class.

Both North Branch and Chisago have doing building been remodeling, enhancing security at school entryways. The officers are predictably pleased to see these measures.  Still, schools themselves will have their share of thefts, assaults, property damage and harrassing behaviors inside the building that no amount of codes and cameras can keep out.  

All three SROs observed that the internet-based incidents don’t seem to be the major problem this year that they have been. Cell phone and electronic threats and harrassment complaints have taperd-off;  maybe due to beefed-up supervision  on the front end or kids have gotten smarter about what they allow into their life.  

Olson mentioned last year electronic cigarettes on campus were a problem and this too has declined.

The partnership with district administrators came up a lot talking with the three.  In the state survey a percentage of SROs  declared they can feel they are working for two bosses.  Said Haller, “Neither of us (Chisago Lakes admin or the police department) are ranked higher when it comes to control.”  Haller views the partnership involving compromise and respect.  Some offenses must be handled criminally and some are resolved in-house.

Any advice for making sure your kid isn’t being dealt with by the SRO?  

Haller remarked that parents need to “be the adult” and that you should keep an eye on who your son or daughter is associating with.

The survey and state report was made possible by a grant from the federal Bureau of Justice Statistics.  According to Racone Magnuson, Director MN Office of Justice Programs, the goal was to better understand SRO situational needs and identify ways to improve the program.






 

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