City Council Meeting Date: December 6, 2016
To: Mayor and City Council
City Administrator
From: Monte Nelson, Chief of Police
Title
Consider Approval of Memorandums of Understanding with Carleton College and St. Olaf College
Body
Action Requested:
The Northfield City Council approves the attached Memorandums of Understanding with Carleton College and St. Olaf College and authorizes the Mayor and City Clerk to execute the same.
Summary Report:
The City Council is asked to approve the attached Memorandums of Understanding (MOU) between the colleges and the City of Northfield. The MOU’s describe agreements between the parties related to their response to certain crimes including Sexual Assault.
In 2015, the Minnesota Legislature passed legislation, Minn. Stat. § 135A.15, 2015 Minn. Laws, Ch. 69, Art. 4, Sec. 2, addressing campus sexual assault. The legislation requires postsecondary institutions and local law enforcement agencies to coordinate their responses to such crimes. The legislation also required that each postsecondary institution enter into a memorandum of understanding with the primary local law enforcement agency that serves its campus by January 1, 2017.
The Northfield Police Department has a positive relationship with both Carleton and St. Olaf Colleges, their administration and security departments. The Colleges and Police Department work together to properly address issues both on and off campus. In regards to reports of sexual assault and related incidents, they have worked together for years to improve their response to these incidents and provide proper support to victims. Locally, we have been following many of the requirements and language in the new legislation, and all parties strive to improve their protocols and response to all types of sexual misconduct.
For over ten years, both Colleges and the Police Department have been part of the Rice County Sexual Assault Multidisciplinary Action Response Team (SMART Team.) The SMART Team works to create victim-centered protocols to respond to reports of sexual assault. All parties create, train employees regarding, and review the protocols for their agency.
The Chief has worked with City Attorney Hood and representatives from both Colleges to create the attached MOU’s. The college representatives included members from their Administration/Dean of Students Office, Security Department, and Attorney’s Offices. The language of the MOU’s was based on model language from the Minnesota State Colleges office, and it was modified to fit our local needs and concerns. All parties feel the proposed MOU’s will guide all parties to better coordinate their response to acts of sexual misconduct in Northfield. These MOU’s supplement the already existing SMART Team protocols created and followed by the parties.
Alternative Options:
N/A
Financial Impacts:
N/A
Tentative Timelines:
Must be completed by January 1, 2017.