Chapter 4: INAPPROPRIATE BEHAVIOR AND MEANINGFUL INTERVENTIONS AND CONSEQUENCES

Section 6.  Collaboration with Law Enforcement

Police have the responsibility to enforce laws in order to protect all citizens. Police can enter schools if they suspect a crime has been committed, if they have a warrant for an arrest or search, or if their assistance has been requested by school officials. It is the duty of the school officials, teachers, and students to cooperate with the police and each other to ensure that the rights of all involved persons are respected.

Prevention Resource Officers (PRO): PRO are certified police officers, working as fulltime officers who have been assigned to work fulltime within a public school during the school year. The PRO duties, salary and other conditions should be determined through an agreement with the county board of education and the PRO authorized police department. The principal is the PRO immediate supervisor while the officer is present in the school. There may be a time when, during the course a PRO duties, the officer's position as a law enforcement officer would take precedence.

Police Conducting an Investigation in the School: During a criminal investigation, if a student is to be questioned by the police, or by school officials in the presence of the police, the school administration should cooperate with the police and help to ensure that the privacy of the student is protected. The police officer is responsible to ensure that the student's constitutional rights are not violated. The police officer is responsible for determining if the student's parents or guardian, or lawyer should be contacted prior to questioning. W. Va. Code § 49-5-2 specifies that statements made by a student under the age of fourteen, while being questioned by law enforcement officials, cannot be used in a court proceeding unless his or her lawyer is present; such statements made by students who are fourteen or fifteen years old cannot be used in a court proceeding unless their lawyer is present or a parent is present and the parent has been informed of the student's rights. The police officer is responsible for determining when the use of restraints is necessary during such questioning to control an unruly student to prevent the student from harming him/herself or others.

Chapter 2 INAPPROPRIATE BEHAVIOR AND MEANINGFUL INTERVENTIONS AND CONSEQUENCES Section 6. Collaboration with Law Enforcement Police can enter schools if they suspect a crime has been committed, have a warrant for an arrest or search, or if their assistance has been requested by school officials. It is the duty of the school officials, teachers, and students to cooperate with the police and each other to ensure that the rights of all involved persons are respected. Prevention Resource Officers (PRO). PRO are certified police officers, working fulltime within a public school. The PRO duties, salary, and responsibilities should be determined through an agreement with the county board of education and the authorized police department. The principal is the immediate supervisor while the PRO officer is present in the school. There may be a time during the course of PRO duties when the officer's position as law enforcement would take precedence.