Dahms / law enforcement ask MN legislature to revert to previous law about officers in schools

The Redwood Area School District will be the latest in Minnesota to not have a school resource officer position for the coming school year. Redwood Falls Police Chief Jason Cotner told KSTP the current assigned officer asked to resign the position over a recent law change that creates uncertainty about how SROs can use restraints on violent students.
On Thursday State Senator Gary Dahms and other legislative Republicans joined law enforcement and school leaders to propose a bill to fix the SRO change they say has put students and school safety at risk.
The proposed bill simply repeals the recent law change eliminating prone restraints or physical holds. It also repeals the change to use of force standards to revert back to the original language that was in the statute.
The change does not impact the 2021 bill that banned all neck and chokehold restraints and remains in place for students and all Minnesotans. Republican Senate and House Minority Leaders also sent a letter to Governor Walz requesting a special session to address this issue.
With SROs stepping down across the state, the Minnesota Police and Peace Officers Association (MPPOA) issued a statement, “The unintended consequences of this new law limit the lawful authority of SROs to keep children safe at school and those contracted with school districts to provide safety to the students, players, and staff. SROs are counted on to support students and staff safety and must have a clear understanding and meaningful procedures and training in place before the implementation of any law.”