Law Enforcement Training
Stearns County Attorney
County Attorney: Janelle P. Kendall
Stearns County Attorney Janelle Kendall has made it a priority to work closely with- and form partnerships with- local law enforcement agencies, which are responsible for conducting criminal investigations and presenting cases to the County Attorney's Office for charging and prosecution. The goal: to improve the results achieved by both law enforcement officers and prosecutors, as well as to promote greater accountability and responsiveness to the communities within Stearns County.
To meet that goal, the County Attorney's Office provides ongoing training and guidance to local law enforcement agencies on current legal issues and court decisions that are relevant to criminal investigations. The Chiefs of the Criminal and Juvenile Divisions of the County Attorney's Office also work closely with local law enforcement agencies to identify priorities for training. Regional and local training sessions are held for law enforcement officers. Some workshops review constitutional issues relevant to criminal investigations. Other workshops cover issues such as effective investigations, report writing, search warrants, addressing school-related crime, case preparation and courtroom testimony.
The County Attorney's Office also publishes, updates and distributes training manuals which offer practical, timely updates to law enforcement officers on legal issues and court decisions that affect criminal investigations and prosecutions.
Beyond law enforcement training, the Juvenile Division of the County Attorney's Office monitors school truancy and conducts prosecutions based on referrals by Stearns county Human Services. The prosecutors within the Juvenile Division are available throughout the school year for ongoing advice and consultation about legal issues relating to juveniles and school-related crime. The Truancy Program is reviewed annually when the Chief of the Juvenile Division and representatives from Stearns County Human Services meet with each school district in the County.