Jan. 16—EAST GRAND FORKS — The East Grand Forks City Council voted Tuesday night, Jan. 16, to allow student resource officers back into local schools. A memorandum of understanding will now go before the East Grand Forks School Board for consideration.

The School Board is expected to discuss the MOU approved by the city at its Jan. 22 meeting. If the board votes in favor of the MOU, East Grand Forks Police Chief Michael Hedlund expects the SRO to return to the schools within days, City Administrator Reid Huttunen said.

City officials

pulled the SRO from the schools

in September in light of a new state law that raised concerns about officers’ ability to use force in schools. Some said the language of the new statute limits officers’ ability to restrain students who are causing non-life-threatening disturbances.

Later that month, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison issued a supplemental legal opinion clarifying that officers are allowed to use force on students “to prevent bodily harm or death” within reason. The opinion also clarified that the only physical holds that are forbidden are prone restraints, any holds that would restrict a student’s ability to breathe and voice distress, holds that put pressure on a student’s stomach, back, chest, head or throat, and holds that result in straddling a student’s torso.

In light of those clarifications, and after much discussion among city and district staff, Hedlund said it is now in the best interest of all parties to return the SRO to the schools, according to Hedlund’s written request for council action.

In an effort to align the city’s SRO program with the statute, the revised MOU specifies that the SRO is not to become an agent of the school district, and that the city maintains full control over the officer, Huttunen said.

Essentially, that means the SRO will no longer have the authority to enforce district administrative policies or be considered an educational service provider, according to the MOU. Instead, the SRO will strictly be expected to enforce local, state and federal laws, and maintain physical security on school campuses.

“The day-to-day in the school will look a little different than it has in school years past, regarding the officer’s ability to try to help the school district enforce school rules or school policy,” Huttunen said. “They have been able to help with (school discipline) in the past, and now it’s more strict that they’re basically there to do police work.”

The MOU, if approved by the School Board, is set to expire on June 30, and the school district will pay the city $41,500 for the services of the officer.

Hedlund also noted that the assignment of East Grand Forks Cpl. Nick Gunderson to the school district will result in the need to promote a new police corporal and hire a new officer. Also Tuesday night, the council approved the promotion of Officer Jake Schiller to the rank of corporal, and approved the police department’s request to initiate the hiring process for a new officer.

In other council news:

* The council approved the plans and specifications for a quiet zone and street and sidewalk improvements.

* Two hires were made in public works: Erika Perez has been hired as the public works supervisor at a rate of $30.75 an hour, and Josh Krostue has been hired as the public works foreman at a rate of $30.09 an hour.

* The council granted final approval to the Green Acres Resubdivision Plat and PUD Plan amendment, contingent upon review and approval of the encroachment agreement or an amendment to the ingress-egress easement document by the city attorney, as well as the submission of a digital file of the plat.