Shakopee Police Department 2023 Annual Report

IN THE SCHOOLS

By Sergeant Cortnie Miranowski, DARE Officer

DARE The Shakopee Police Department proudly partners with Shakopee Area Catholic Schools (SACS) 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 to enable them to make good life choices This partnership promotes familiarity and trust In 2023, Shakopee Area Catholic Schools welcomed Sergeant 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 situations, and stress During the program, students learn and practice effective listening skills, confident communication, reporting bullying, and what it means to be an upstanding community member The students are also given the DARE C.O.P.S. For the 2023-24 school year, school resource officers (SROs) continued to teach the C OPS (Community Outreach by Police for Students) curriculum in the Shakopee Public Schools C OPS is a way to directly connect SROs to students, reaching approximately 2,000 students each year in the seven different schools The goal is to teach youth about the pressures and issues they may face in adolescence and how they can deal with those issues in a mature and healthy manner During the school year, the SROs coordinated with elementary school teachers and middle school health teachers to present on topics related to the curriculum The topics included stress, courage, kid vs adult problems (how each affect them differently), developing a support network, online safety, bullying, and drugs and alcohol Officer Adam Krichbaum and Officer Canon Christianson coordinated with all fifth, sixth, and seventh grade teachers In the fifth-grade classrooms, the topics focused on finding courage when you’re scared, stress recognition and how to reduce stress, kid vs adult problems, and support networks In each sixth-grade classroom, officers spoke about online

decision-making and resistance strategies as tools to advance their critical thinking and decision-making skills In March 2023, 57 students graduated from the 10-week program SACS hosted a graduation ceremony, and each graduate was presented with a certificate, demonstrating they will continue to make safe and responsible choices

DARE students at Shakopee Area Catholic Schools

By Officer Canon Christianson

safety and how to make smart choices with social media At the seventh-grade level, the officers discussed drugs and alcohol and how to make responsible choices concerning the pressure to use substances To accommodate the middle school rotating schedules, the sixth and seventh grade presentations are done on a quarterly basis to ensure each student has an opportunity to hear these important messages The program enables SROs to have positive interactions with students, which allows the students to get to know the officers both as authority figures and helpful community members If students get to know officers in the comfort of the classroom, they will be more willing to approach the officers for help and support when needed outside the classroom

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