Moorehead PD suspends SRO’s

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POLICE NEWS RELEASES

City of Moorhead Police Department school resource officer program placed on hold 

Post Date:08/24/2023 11:33 am

Recent changes in Minnesota law have been interpreted by legal counsel to remove the standard law enforcement authority of officers contracted by school districts or assigned to work in schools. This includes Moorhead’s School Resource Officers.

Discussions are occurring at local and state levels in Minnesota regarding the intent of the change, and several agencies – including the League of Minnesota Cities, the Department of Education, the Minnesota Police Chiefs Association, the Minnesota Sheriffs’ Association and the Attorney General's Office – are actively working toward a possible solution.

Until a solution is identified – and the more than 30-year-old collaboration with Moorhead Area Public Schools can be resumed – the City of Moorhead Police Department has reassigned its School Resource Officers back to patrol duty. These officers will be available to respond to calls for services in the City, including our schools. Even with these changes, school safety is still a top priority. The current changes in state law do not affect officers who respond to our public schools.

Captain Deric Swenson