By Brenda Erdahl
There is a growing need for police presence in the schools according to Wright County Sheriff Sean Deringer which is why the Wright County Board of Commissioners approved the hiring of two more School Resource Officers (SRO) Tuesday, June 7 at their regular meeting.
Sheriff Deringer reported at a Committee of the Whole meeting earlier this month, that Wright County currently has the largest SRO group in Minnesota with 13 SROs and one D.A.R.E officer working in the schools. That is not enough, he said.
According to the Committee of the Whole minutes, which commissioners approved Tuesday, post-pandemic issues within the school system were causing the SROs to be overloaded with mental health issues. Deringer said he has seen classrooms destroyed by outbursts and kids acting out. He has also seen a rise in sexual assaults and threats in the school system. He emphasized that the SRO is the person that teachers and schools call when they need assistance.