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School Liaison Officer |
| History of our program in Detroit Lakes... |
| The liaison officer’s position is a
cooperative, progressive, community oriented policing effort between the City of Detroit Lakes Police
Department and Detroit Lakes School District #22. The program was
originally created in 1998 as part of a nationwide COPS grant designed
to implement more Officers in schools and on the streets to combat the
growing crime and violence. During the summer of 2001, the city and school
district agreed to a 50/50 partnership to fund the position when the
original grant funding ran out.
2008 marks the tenth year of this
program - crime statistics and fear of violence in our area
schools have been reduced significantly. Feedback from students, teachers,
and Principals has been extremely positive. The program continues to
improve and make adjustments as necessary to help provide for a
safer and secure environment for our area students. |
| A
New Direction
Several School Liaison Officers have served in the position throughout the years. The first Liaison was Chad Jutz, currently serving in DLPD Investigations Unit. Officer David Shawstad took over the position in 2005. Just like other positions within the department, the process is opened up to Officers and interviews are conducted to determine the best candidate. David served in the capacity of School Liaison Officer for over three years and transfered back to the patrol division for 2008. David worked very hard researching, revising, and implementing new safety and security procedures throughout the district. It was a team effort of many people in the district to make these procedures work. Beau Shroyer is the new School Liaison Officer for 2008. He started his career with the DLPD last year and looks forward to knowing the many different faces and jobs that come with this assignment. His is married with a daughter born in 2007 and his wife reports another one on the way! Hang in there, Beau! Your new position and family situation is going to get complicated in ways you never thought possible! *LOL* Beau works in all seven buildings within the DL school district including: DL Senior High, DL Middle School, Roosevelt Elementary, Rossman Elementary, Lincoln Education Center, Administrative Building, and the Area Learning Center. David's jurisdiction and responsibilities cover the entire DL District, School Buses, and about 3200 combined students and staff. |
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The role of a School Liaison Officer The role of a School Liaison Officer has many duties. It takes a special person to handle the challenges of so many different ages, family backgrounds, and personalities. The initial goal is to help bridge any gaps between the schools/community and the police department. From there, a School Liaison Officer acts in the capacity of several jobs: Police Officer, Educator, and Counselor. Intervening in situations, educating students about the law and safety, or preventing problems before they get worse is a major role of the program. Recent trends nation-wide have shown the potential dangers facing our learning institutions today. The recent regional tragedies in Red Lake and Cold Springs (both in Minnesota) happened only a few years ago and 2007 was also a dangerous year at Virginia Tech and two shopping malls in Salt Lake City (UT) and Omaha (NE). This is a constant reminder of how important school safety is to us. Prevention and communication is critical in these situations in addition to having well trained staff and emergency protocols to handle violence or any other threat to students. Nobody can promise a perfect school environment but by working together - we can make a difference. Beau has several options and advice he can offer students or parents of students finding themselves in need of help. If Beau can't personally help someone - he has the resources to find someone who can. |
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Contact Information |
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School Office- (218) 847-4491 option#2 Police Department (218) 847-4222 Dispatch Office (218) 847-2661 Email - bshroyer@detlakes.k12.mn.us |
Airport | Community
Foundation | Community Information |
