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The Wauwatosa School District contracts with the Wauwatosa Police Department to provide School Resource
Officers (SRO) to support a safe a healthy learning climate. SRO’s collaborate with administration and staff within
the school.
A. Definitions
1. Interview: To question or converse in order to obtain information. A formal meeting for consultation to
gain facts on an incident.
2. Interrogation: Questioning with the force of an emphatic affirmation or denial. To question, typically with
formality, command, and thoroughness, for full information and circumstantial detail. In interrogations,
the person interrogated is a suspect.
3. Apprehend: To take into custody.
4. Emergency Situations: Are circumstances in which a student has knowledge of or is involved in conduct
that may be imminently dangerous to the health and safety of the student and/or others.
B. Interview Procedures
School official’s sand in loco parentis (in place of the parent) in respect to the child. This will require the
administrator to divorce himself/herself from his/her role of enforcer of discipline in the school, a very difficult
task, but one that needs to be performed.
1. When police or other wish to interview a student or investigate an alleged law violation, they will contact
the School Resource Officer indicating the nature of their investigation and their desire to question a
student or students. The school Resource Officer will work with building administration and access will
be granted consistent with Policy 5540 or Policy 5540.01.
2. If the principal concurs that the questioning is appropriate, s/he will send for the student, move him/her
to an unoccupied room and, if appropriate and a parent is not present, remain in the room during the
questioning. If the situation involves suspected child abuse or an emergency requiring prompt action,
notification of parents will be determined by the investigator (see also the investigation procedure in
AG 8462 - Student Abuse).
C. When Police Officials Have a Warrant to Take Custody of a Student
The following procedures should be followed when a law enforcement official has a warrant to take a student
into custody at school.
1. The School Resource Officer will work collaboratively with school administration when a student needs
to be taken into custody while at school administrator will follow the directive of the law enforcement
officer regarding the apprehension.
2. Whenever possible, the school administrator will remove the student from the classroom to bring the
student to the office to meet the law enforcement official.
3. The student is not interviewed/interrogated at school; the law enforcement official will remove the
student from the school premises.
4. The School resource Officer and Principal will determine procedure for notification to parents/guardians
to avoid jeopardizing the investigation and maintaining a safe school environment.
5. The administrator will document the police contact. The completed form must be kept in a confidential
file in the principal's office.
B. When Law Enforcement Officials Are Called to School by School Officials for a School-Related Incident
1. The administrator will provide private space for the law enforcement official to interview the student.
2. The administrator will notify the parent/guardian of a minor student of the interview.
3. The administrator will be present during the interview.
4. If the interview results in the student being taken into custody and removed from school, the
administrator will notify the parent/guardian of a minor student of this removal.
5. The administrator will document the police contact. The completed form must be kept in a confidential
file in the principal's office.
D. When Law Enforcement Officials Do Not Have a Warrant and are Investigating a Non-School Related Incident
1. The administrator will determine if the interview/interrogation will occur based on, but not limited to,
factors including:
a. The immediacy/emergency nature of the situation;
b. The age of the student;
c. The special education status or other special needs of the student;
d. The severity of the alleged crime;
e. When the situation is not deemed an emergency, previous repeated unsuccessful attempts by law
enforcement officials to reach the student outside of the school.
2. The administrator will be present during the interview/questioning.
3. The School resource Officer and Principal will determine procedure for notification to parents/guardians
to avoid jeopardizing the investigation and maintaining a safe school environment.
4. The administrator will document the police contact. The completed form must be kept in a confidential
file in the principal's office.
Approved/Adopted: July 13, 2009
Revised: April 20, 2012 |
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