Board expresses concerns about traffic stop safety
The Giltner School Board met with Nebraska State Patrol Captain Dean Riedel Monday night to discuss the board’s concern over the state patrol’s drug spot locations near the I-80 exit.
“Thank you for having me to have these open conversations about concerns that you guys have,” Riedel said. “Without revealing all of our trade secrets, I’ll try to answer as many questions as I can and address your concerns and come up with a solution that works for all of us.”
Board Secretary Joe Happold commented that the board was mainly concerned about the security of the students and staff.
School Board Treasurer Brad Schutt further elaborated to Riedel that the board was concerned about children moving in and out of school when the drop stops are happening.
“I think the biggest concern is just where the stops may be happening. As far away as possible, obviously is the best in our mind,” Schutt said. “Also the timing of when that is done, we really like to see it not when all kids are on their way to school or on their way home, and that’s not just about school that’s just about being in the community in general.”
Schutt and other board members emphasized concern about vehicles speeding into town when students would be riding bikes or walking to and from school.
According to Riedel, relocating where patrol cars are stationed and where they have their drug interdiction spots is not easy to change.
“When we first started out, we were one of the first ones in the United States that actually started that,” Riedel explained. “Those cases have been tried and trued and have gone off to the Nebraska and the United States Supreme Courts for those, and those were started based off of how those were set up and why they were set up.”
Riedel also said the stops are not always related to suspected drug possession, but often result in catching suspects from other criminal cases.
“Those types of situations are more than just the drug related items that happen, but that happens in every other community,” Riedel stated. “Every community has got some bad parts and good parts of that and we’re trying to make sure that eventually the vast majority of the stuff that we did is the drugs and that those drugs don’t come back to our local communities.”
Riedel said it was possible for the stops to be relocated away from the school, but said that would involve the cooperation of other agencies and the courts.
Riedel said he understands the school board’s unease and will be talking with his troops about how they perform the drug stops in the Giltner area moving forward.
“I understand your concerns and I totally get it,” Riedel commented. “That’s the conversation I need to have with my troops about where those traffic stops are being conducted and I totally understand that. Sometimes we also have to understand too that where those people that we come in contact with to make the traffic stops sometimes dictate where that traffic stop is being done. So absolutely that’s a message through my troops to make sure that we’re trying to do that.”
Riedel said he will be meeting with his troops this Wednesday to go over possible solutions.
“We’re going to discuss the locations where the traffic stops are done,” Riedel said.
He said he wanted to at least “reemphasize that if a traffic stop was to happen maybe we wait until they get out of town. Maybe we do wait well before or maybe we try to find another avenue of where we can stop them that’s not within the area of the school where it’s more people involved.”
“I appreciate that you guys have called me down here and asked me questions about situations and that goes for anything,” Riedel commented. “Anything that happens and where I can be of assistance to you or my troops can be... Whatever that’s happening in your community, crime somewhere else that we can help you out with, please call me and we’ll see what we can do.”
In other business conducted at Monday’s meeting, the board approved the resignation letters of school counselor Kate Schendt and physical education teacher and head football coach Dane McConnell.
“On the behalf of the board, thank you to both of those employees for their time and their efforts and their dedication to the school and wish them well in their next endeavors,” Lyon said.
In other action, the Giltner School Board:
* discussed the Jr. High All Sports Co-op Giltner will have with Harvard Public Schools for the 2024-25 and 2025-26 school years;
* approved a 2024-25 certified teacher contract for Molly Hoskins;
* approved a 2024-25 classified staff wage increase of 5.9 percent and $2 per route for bus drivers;
* approved the certified teachers 2024-25 letters of intent;
* approved Kurt Finkey’s 2024-25 principal and athletic director contract;
* approved Nick Mumm’s 2024-25 superintendent’s contract.
It was also announced at the meeting that the school board will be hosting two upcoming meetings regarding the school bond election on Thursday April 18 at the school and Monday April 29 at the Giltner Community Center, both starting at 7 p.m.