Reviewing the Role of Law Enforcement at School

The last two weeks in the Twin Cities and around the world have encouraged introspection on our systems of authority. Various organizations in Minneapolis have reacted to the death of George Floyd by cutting ties with the Minneapolis police department. In your school community, people may be wondering how law enforcement operates and engages with your school. Today we’d like to highlight several policy entry points that may be especially relevant as we think more deeply about the use of force and relationships with policing institutions.

Your school’s policy regulating when to use peace officers and crisis teams to remove students with IEPs from school grounds is one place to start. This policy looks at what to do when a student with an IEP endangers the health, safety, or property of people at school. Two groups that could respond to an emergency are crisis teams and peace officers. Beyond just reflecting on when to use peace officers, use of force guidelines are key in determining restrictive procedures that crisis teams may use to de-escalate the situation. Appropriate procedures, combined with regular training, may prevent overreliance on peace officers’ involvement.

You likely have one or two other policies that touch on use of force. If your school affirms the state ban on Corporal Punishment via policy, there would be discussion of reasonable force. Reasonable force can be used by school staff to protect people and property. The third relevant use of force policy also engages police and gets a lot of consideration here by our staff: Crisis Management. This is a critical policy in your school and defines the roles and responsibilities in preparing, responding, and recovering from crises and engagement with emergency services ensures expectations are consistent across school staff and responders, including use of force and other concerns.