CITY COMMISSION AGENDA ITEM

Department:	Police Department		Commission Meeting Date:  February 6, 2018
Staff Contact:	Sergeant Amy Rhoads
Recommendations/Options/Action Requested:
Authorize the Chief of Police to execute a Memorandum of Understanding related to the Lawrence Police Department’s collaboration with U.S.D. 497 to establish a guide for relevant stakeholders to refer to in determining how to reduce the number of school-based referrals for disciplinary action to law enforcement or the juvenile justice system.
Executive Summary:		In 2016, the Kansas Legislature passed a lengthy piece of legislation under Senate Bill 367. In Section 58 (i) of that Bill, each school district in Kansas is required to "develop, approve and submit to the state board of education a memorandum of understanding developed in collaboration with relevant stakeholders including law enforcement agencies, the courts and the district and county attorneys, establishing clear guidelines for how and when school-based behaviors are referred to law enforcement or the juvenile justice system with the goal of reducing such referrals and protecting public safety.” (emphasis added). The purpose of the law, according to a report drafted by the Kansas Juvenile Justice Workgroup, which recommended the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) provision, is to help lessen the number of juveniles entering the juvenile justice system as the system has become inundated with low-level offenders. The MOU would be the guide for relevant stakeholders to refer to in determining how to reduce the number of school-based referrals for disciplinary action to law enforcement or the juvenile justice system. The burden of creating such an MOU falls on the school districts in the state. The Lawrence Police Department, as a necessary party to the MOU under the law, received a proposed MOU draft in August 2017. After working together with the City Attorney’s Office on the proposed language, the parties agreed to the language in the enclosed MOU.  All other parties have signed the attached draft. At this time, the MOU is recommended to be approved as submitted.  Once all parties sign the MOU, it will be forwarded to the State Board of Education for approval.
Strategic Plan Critical Success Factor		Core Services Collaborative Solutions
Fiscal Impact (Amount/Source):		None
Attachments:		Senate Bill 367, Section 58 Memorandum of Understanding

Reviewed By: (for CMO use only)

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