Partnering to Reduce School Crime Collaborative Efforts to Reduce School Crime Referrals in Hennepin County
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Partnering to Reduce School Crime
Collaborative Efforts to Reduce School Crime Referrals
in Hennepin County
Presenters
Minneapolis Public SchoolsJason Matlock, Manager Office of
Emergency, Management Safety and Security
Jim Johnson, Director of Student Support Services
Minneapolis Police DepartmentLt. Andy Smith, Commander Juvenile Unit
Hennepin County Attorney’s OfficeTom Arneson, Manager Juvenile
Prosecution
Partnering to Reduce School Crime
Need Partnership among Schools, Police and County Attorney Minneapolis Public Schools Minneapolis Police Department Hennepin County Attorney’s Office
Shared Vision Consistent Policies and Practices
Characteristics of Hennepin Co School Crime 2006-2007 School Year
Type of Crime: 50% Disorderly
Conduct 25% Assault 9% Property 8% Theft/Receiving 4% Weapons
2,513 total referrals for crimes in school
Level of Offense 46% Juvenile Petty
Offense * 40% Misdemeanor 7% Felony 6% Gross
Misdemeanor
* Includes primarily offenses that would be misdemeanors if committed by an adult, where youth has 0 or 1 prior adjudications for misdemeanor level petty offense.
Why Re-Examine Juvenile Justice Response to School Crime?
Relatively minor behavior being criminalized, may have been addressed in the past within the schools
Juvenile justice response is not immediate
Juvenile court options for intervention limited
Is school safety enhanced? A good use of juvenile justice
resources?
Assumptions Underlying School Crime Responses
School learning environments should be safe, secure and orderly for students, teachers, staff, and guests
Students should be attending school and achieving educational success
Responses to misbehavior should be timely, proportional, and graduated
Juvenile justice involvement should be reserved for more serious offenses and youth who do not respond to in-school or alternative interventions
County Attorney Strategies
Encouraged schools and law enforcement to address minor misbehavior within schools
Diversion Opportunities “Letter Diversion” for de minimis misconduct -
Notify parents and ask them to address behavior Formal Diversion Programming Juvenile Petty Offenses – Restorative Justice
Programming Focus on Disorderly Conduct Referrals Disorderly Conduct cases referred by schools
generally handled by “Letter Diversion”
County Attorney Strategies
Serious cases still will be referred to court. Criteria determine a serious case: Facts of case are serious Respondent already has case open in court Law enforcement indicates disciplinary
interventions at school have been attempted with no change in behavior
Previous diversions
Minneapolis School Crime Referrals 2006 to 2012
2006
/200
7
2007
/200
8
2008
/200
9
2009
/201
0
2010
/201
1
2011
/201
20
100200300400500600700800900
1000
Mpls Total School Crime Referrals
Juvenile Crime Referrals 2007-Present2007
‘06/07 School Year2011
‘11/12 School Year % Change
Total Referrals from Hennepin Law Enforcement
10,664 7,391 -31%
Minneapolis School Crime Referrals
919 259 -72%
Minneapolis School Disorderly Conduct Referrals
409 80 -80%
Hennepin County Total School Crime Referrals
2,513 1,106 -56%
Hennepin County Total School Disorderly Conduct Referrals
1,258 460 -64%
Minneapolis School Crime ReferralsOffense Type
2006-2007 School Year
Offense Type
Number % of Total
Assault 289 31%
Disorderly 409 45%
Property 96 10%
Receiving/Theft
52 6%
Weapons 38 4%
Other 35 4%
2011-2012 School Year
Offense Type
Number % of Total
Assault 94 36%
Disorderly 80 31%
Property 23 9%
Receiving/Theft
18 7%
Weapons 29 11%
Other 15 6%
Minneapolis School Crime ReferralsOffense Severity
2006-2007 School Year
Felony (53) 6%
Gross Misdemeanor (55) 6%
Misdemeanor (356) 39%
Petty Offense (453) 49%
2011-2012 School Year
Felony (22) 9%
Gross Misdemeanor (8) 3%
Misdemeanor (122) 47%
Petty Offense (107) 41%
Tom ArnesonHennepin County Attorney’s Office
Desk: 612-348-9717Cell: 612-991-8489
Email: [email protected]
MPS and MPDPartnering to Reduce School Crime
In 2008 MPS and MPD restarted their partnership
This was directly related to Mayor Rybak’s Blueprint for Reducing Youth Violence
There are 16 officers, 1 sergeant, and 1 school patrol agent assigned to the SRO unit
MPS also made a change in philosophy around the difference between behavior and crime
MPS and MPDPartnering to Reduce School Crime
89% of the documented contacts by the SRO’s are during positive interactions
MPS and MPDPartnering to Reduce School Crime
62% of the documented criminal incidents DO NOT end in arrest or citation
MPS and MPDPartnering to Reduce School Crime
ONLY 9% of the total suspensions also end in an arrest or citation
MPS and MPDPartnering to Reduce School Crime
Numbers are nice, but what do they really tell you?
MPS and MPDPartnering to Reduce School Crime
Jason Matlock
Minneapolis Public Schools
Office of Emergency Management, Safety &
Security
o) 612-668-0178c) 612-290-0056
School Resource Officer Selection
Why Officers have been selected in the past
1. Seniority 2. Low production numbers on the street3. Not wanted by other units4. Consistently in “trouble”
Having the right people is EVERYTHING!
Eight Essential Criteria for SRO Selection
1. Likes Kids (Yes, it should be obvious)2. Has the correct demeanor and people
skills3. Has experience as a patrol officer4. Is able to work independently5. Is EXCEPTIONALLY dependable6. Has a history of working very hard7. Is or can be an effective “teacher”8. Very high integrity
Selection Process
1. Have the interested officer submit a letter of interest (Writing/ Language sample)
2. Panel interview that includes a school representative
3. Ask questions that measure actual life examples that demonstrate the eight essential criteria
4. Internal Affairs History
Training
1. Be clear about expectations from both the police department and the schools (i.e. Not there for discipline issues)
2. Understand special training is required Mentoring skills Social Networking applications (Facebook,
etc.) Mental Health issues De-escalation techniques Special Ed issues Mediation skills
Misc. Info
US Department of Justice – Office of Community Oriented Policing Services is a great online resource.
http://www.cops.usdoj.gov/default.asp?item=140
Keep the SRO engaged with the police department - daily intelligence and info should flow both ways. (PREVENTION)
Establishing good relationships with school administration and staff is just as important as relationships with students.
Understand there will be occasional disagreements between the school and the police department
Cross train school staff and SROs.
Lt. Andy SmithMinneapolis Police Department
Desk: 612-290-6269Cell: 612-290-6269
Email: [email protected]
Partnering to Reduce School Crime
Collaborative Efforts to Reduce School Crime Referrals
in Hennepin County
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