By Rich Larson
With students back in classrooms, the Northfield Police Department is renewing its work inside local schools while reminding drivers about an important change to Minnesota’s school bus stop law.
Northfield Police Chief Jeff Schroepfer said the department’s school resource officer and DARE programs are again underway for the school year. Officer Isaac Dahl serves as Northfield’s school resource officer, splitting his time among the district’s high school, middle school and elementary schools.
The position is established through an agreement between the city and the Northfield School District. While Dahl provides a visible law enforcement presence, Schroepfer said much of the job centers on building relationships with students.
The school resource officer maintains an office in the schools and spends time getting to know students in a variety of settings. That familiarity can make students more comfortable approaching an officer with concerns about school, home or their personal lives and can provide police with information about potential safety issues.
The department also has four specially trained DARE officers who work with students. While DARE originally focused primarily on drug abuse prevention, the curriculum has expanded to include alcohol, bullying, mental health and strategies for handling difficult situations. Officers receive two weeks of specialized training that includes both the curriculum and techniques for teaching and working with children.
Schroepfer said Northfield maintained its school resource officer program through recent statewide debates and changes in Minnesota law regarding police use of force in schools. The department plans to continue the program.
Police are also reminding drivers of a change to Minnesota’s school bus stop law.
Previously, language in the law created a loophole when a bus had activated its flashing red lights but its stop arm was not yet fully extended. That requirement has now been changed.
Drivers must stop when a school bus has its red lights flashing, regardless of whether the stop arm is fully extended. Vehicles must stop at least 20 feet from the bus and remain stopped until the red lights are turned off and the stop arm has been retracted.
Northfield police continue to receive reports of school bus stop-arm violations each year. With students once again walking, biking and riding buses to school, Schroepfer is urging drivers to slow down, put their phones away and pay close attention around schools and buses.
Rich Larson is the owner and General Manager of KYMN Radio. Contact him at rich@kymnradio.net
