Shakopee Police Department 2022 Annual Report

IN THE SCHOOLS

By Cortnie Miranowski, DARE Officer

D.A.R.E. The Shakopee Police Department proudly partners with the Shakopee Area Catholic Schools to offer the DARE program During the school year, a DARE officer works closely with school officials, teachers, parents, and students to enhance the learning experience, promote responsible behavior, and sharpen decision making skills This connection helps students see police officers not only as enforcers, but also as supporters who want them to make good life choices This partnership promotes familiarity and trust It opens communication lines that are vital to solving community issues and promoting a great city in which to live, learn, and work In 2022, Shakopee Area Catholic Schools welcomed Officer Cortnie Miranowski to each fifth grade classroom to present the DARE “Keepin’ it Real” curriculum Keepin’ it Real tackles such issues as bullying, peer pressure, drug abuse, risky C.O.P.S. For the 2022-2023 school year, School Resource Officers continued to teach the C OPS (Community Outreach by Police for Students) curriculum in the Shakopee Public Schools C OPS is a way to get School Resource Officers into the classrooms The goal is to teach youth about the pressures they may face on a daily basis, and how to best deal with those issues During the school year, the School Resource Officers coordinated with elementary school teachers and middle school health teachers to present on topics in the curriculum The topics included stress, kid vs adult problems (how each affect them differently), developing a help network, peer pressure, internet safety, bullying, and drugs and alcohol Officer Wimmer, Officer Krichbaum, and Officer Christianson coordinated with all fifth, sixth, and seventh grade teachers (whether in person or via Zoom and Google Meets) In the fifth-grade classrooms, the topics focused on stress recognition and solutions, kid vs adult problems, and help networks In each sixth-grade classroom, officers spoke about peer pressure At the seventh-grade level, the officers discussed internet safety and how it relates to social media, as well as drugs and alcohol To accommodate the middle school

situations, and stress During the program, students learn and practice effective listening skills, confident communication, reporting bullying, and what it means to be a good citizen The students are also given the DARE decision making model and resistance strategies as tools to advance their critical thinking and decision making skills Fifty-two students graduated from the 10-week program in March 2022 SACS hosted a graduation ceremony and each graduate was presented with a certificate, demonstrating they will continue to make safe and responsible choices Sixty-five students graduated from the 10-week program in March 2021 SACS hosted a virtual graduation ceremony and each graduate was presented with a certificate, demonstrating they will continue to make safe and responsible choices By Chad Wimmer, School Resource Officer rotating schedules, the sixth and seventh grade presentations are done on a quarterly basis to ensure each student has the opportunity to hear the presentations The program allows the School Resource Officers to have positive interactions with the students The officers help the students identify the stressors they may encounter daily Furthermore, the students are given additional resources to deal with the issues that may arise throughout their academic careers The program reaches approximately 1,700 students in seven schools

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