Hennepin County Sheriff's Office to pull school resource officer from Rockford High School
ROCKFORD, Minn. — Another Minnesota law enforcement agency is taking action against legislation regarding school resource officers' use of force.
The new legislation states SROs can only use force when there is a threat of bodily harm or death. In a release Tuesday, the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office said it will remove its sole SRO from Rockford High School.
"It is my hope that we can continue to navigate the needs and concerns of community members. Unfortunately, the ambiguous limitations imposed this year are incompatible with sworn duties of a licensed peace officer," Hennepin County Sheriff Dawanna Witt said. "In an ideal world, there would never be a need for SROs to use physical restraint in the school environment. But when the need to respond to a serious incident arises, they need to know that they will not be held liable for appropriately fulfilling that duty."
The Anoka and Moorhead police departments have pulled their SROs from schools. Police chiefs across the state have spoken out against the new legislation.
School officials are also concerned about the changes.
"While we understand the circumstances that led to this difficult decision, it deeply saddens the school district to know that we won't see the familiar face of our Hennepin County SRO in the halls when school starts," said Superintendent Dr. Jeff Ridlehoover of the Rockford Area Schools. "My experiences with SROs have been positive ones, SROs are a part of the fabric of the school. They support kids and families in difficult times and build meaningful relationships. We hope that we can welcome them back to our district soon."