Schools may lose their cops

Liaison program in jeopardy

By Dan Nienaber

MANKATO — Those high school seniors, the ones counting the days until graduation, were just wide-eyed kindergartners when Geoffrey Olmscheid traded his regular police beat for the hallways of Mankato’s elementary schools.

Olmscheid, better known as “Officer O,” is counting the days now, too. He plans to retire in December — and there’s a good chance the city’s police liaison program will end with Olmscheid’s law enforcement career.

That’s not a good thing, he said.

“I definitely think it’s a good program,” he said. “We get to know the kids and the kids get to know us — especially in the elementary schools.

“When kids are growing up, often their first experience with a cop is a negative one. We’ve been able to change that.”

The program, seen as a proactive way to deal with law enforcement issues on school grounds, has been dwindling for several years. It started with four officers about 15 years ago through joint funding by Mankato Area Public Schools and the Department of Public Safety.

As the city and its schools have faced funding cuts, school liaison officers have been trimmed from their budgets. There are two officers now, one at each high school.

There’s only funding for one liaison officer, a position now filled by Tom Rother, in the school district’s budget plan for next year.

Half of the cost would have to come from the city’s budget, but City Manager Pat Hentges said the Department of Public Safety is seriously considering ending the program.

Part of the problem is Gov. Tim Pawlenty’s plan to cut local government aid, which could require an estimated $3.6 million in budget reductions for the city through 2010. It’s also not feasible to have one officer covering all of the city’s schools, Hentges said.

“Our concern is that all he would be doing is being a security person,” Hentges said. “Preliminary discussions lead us to believe having some sort of school security would be more efficient than having one officer running around dealing with everything.”

Hentges and school Supt. Ed Waltman agree: The program benefits both police officers and students. They said it builds relationships between students and the officers, who spend a lot of time in the hallways every day. Their work helps resolve small conflicts before they evolve into big problems.

City officials plan to get back with the school once the budget situation is more clear, and before the next school year starts, to make a final decision, Hentges said.

“It’s one of those programs where it’s hard to measure some of those impacts,” said Matt Westermayer, deputy director of police services. “You don’t know what effect you’re having on the kids. But, over the years, some students have come back and told the officers they’ve made a big impact.

“Sometimes you don’t find out until several years down the road.”

If the program is cut, school employees will have to do what everyone else does when they need help from police: Call 911. A patrol officer will then be sent to the school to take a report and make an arrest, if necessary. If it’s not a high priority, there could be a time lag as that officer deals with more important calls. And, when the officer arrives, there’s a good chance it won’t be the same one who was there for the last 911 call.

Shane Baier, East High School principal, said it’s a benefit to be able to call the same officer every time. And it’s always a direct call to that officer’s cell phone.

“It also helps to have that consultation,” Baier said. “I can ask them, ‘What do you think we should do about this?’ when we have a situation with a student. They’re not just here when we have a crisis. They’re here every day.

“They’re not just the law, either. They’re a mentor and a friend, so students can go to them when they have a problem.”

The Department of Public Safety hasn’t made any final budget decisions and won’t until the state funding situation is more clear. Westermayer said the liaison program is one of many public safety services threatened by funding cuts.

“It pretty much comes down to the dollars and cents aspects of what we’re faced with,” he said. “I think there will be some things that will be lost that will be missed. We’re being forced to look at a number of changes to be more efficient about how we use our resources.

“It’s not something we’re excited about losing or want to lose. And, if we find there’s an overwhelming need, we could bring it back.”

Baier said he’s hoping a solution can be found that will keep the program going with an officer at each high school.

“Whatever it ends up being, we’ll make it work,” he said. “But what we got is what we want. We think it’s best for the kids.”

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