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Profile: Mary Hensel—
<br />Orono's C``�. r Friendly
<br />Although the Officer
<br />Friendly Program has
<br />been a part of t� - Orono
<br />Police Department for
<br />over cix years, it is now
<br />to Mary Hensel, patrt�`
<br />officer and Officer Frienc+ly,
<br />for the divis✓on.
<br />Hensel, a graduate of the
<br />College of St. Thomi -
<br />St. Paul, majored in ser
<br />ology with an emphasis in criminal justice before
<br />joining the Orono police force in January. Since tak-
<br />ing on the responsibilitieq of Officer Friendly in Anil,
<br />the 25 +rear -old has conducted cla ,scr� on � !rsona'
<br />traffic and seat belt safety for stude, the: Schc-
<br />m::nn Elementary and Orono Middle . cols.
<br />The safety lPssnns that Hensel pr4a ru^ 30 to
<br />45 minutes in !ength and are given
<br />three times a year. While Hensel u_ roc
<br />are;; visual aids to teach the kids about iop,cs st
<br />as crime, finger printinn, drunk driving and trL
<br />and seat belt safety, she creates games for '.he si .
<br />cents to play so that she is at- pass her infor-
<br />mation along in a more intere•
<br />Currently she is designing '
<br />topics for Orono High Scher
<br />Wt•;Ir acting as Officer i L. , i, parf
<br />w. -er job, Hen', -I sper 11- it u; +.r le
<br />as a patrul as
<br />'vim I, -.ison officer to, -,ion help-
<br />ing .. :he . ,ganization of the ese- vacs.
<br />Hensel s ,e is irnpres3ed by how informed stu-
<br />dents are aoo+:t safety in gerirral and is encouraged
<br />by teache -�^t.hlasias. n in t,jucafi,. ,he children
<br />further. V. rganr2atruns such as the Sears Fo.:n
<br />dation, vh:,.n functa the Officer Friendly Program
<br />mound t;+e cour. -v. and motivated individual,, such
<br />as M Hense++ the seat belt bucHing hatef is `-,eing
<br />noted e:t n -ore intem;,ively
<br />Arat cc, v,
<br />M 0�1NW2Adsw
<br />Officers and Belts Iccntinued from page t.l
<br />negligent, and any financial award the courts grant
<br />the officer should be reduced acrordingiy. Before
<br />the passage of our new mF iatory sea: belt law,
<br />individuals suing as the result of automo. --accidents
<br />f,+. ad an uphill battle in arguing that the plaintiff's
<br />'ailurc 'n wear a seat belt !,as negligence in and of
<br />rtgr, i,..N that Minne )ta has a statute mandating
<br />s•at 1-•eit use, automobile acrident defendants may
<br />Succeed with this argument more frequently.
<br />Second, failure of peace offi:,!:,rs to wear seat belts
<br />on duty could possibly subject their departments and
<br />their cities tc some financial liability. As any admin-
<br />istrator in city government well knows, municipal
<br />agenci _ : and mi micipalities the ilves can be found
<br />+iable for the actions of aloyees if those
<br />actions wer- re resul' i or policy of the
<br />c.•, y or ML. ality. Fc, ple, assume a city
<br />peuce department had a custo;n or policy condoning
<br />the nonuse of !r:3at belts by its police ot,:::ers. If one
<br />,f the officers lost control of his squad car during
<br />a high-speed chase, slammed into another vehicle
<br />seriously injuring its driver, largely to his failure to
<br />—car ear a seat belt, the police department and the city
<br />,uld be hEld liable to ured party for allowing
<br />custom or policy that .usulted in that person's in -
<br />The likelihood of such a series of events resulting
<br />financi..: liability on the part of the agency or the
<br />municipality is protr'bly slim. However, courts and
<br />iuries are awardinr; large verdicts against police
<br />officers and their employers with increasing frequency.
<br />The establishmr.nt of departmental policies requiring
<br />seat belt use by rployees may go a long way to
<br />reducingI)— isk of ,iapartment4..;i munici;.x,' liability
<br />in theF-e zero.
<br />t�bviously. t•.,-,t financial reasons support a conclusion
<br />th A police departments can't go wrong by adopting
<br />and enforcing regulz ns requiring all officers to
<br />Near seat belts in the line of duty. Such regulations
<br />crould help reduce the risk of hefty liability awards
<br />facing officers individually and the;, c-)ploying de-
<br />partment, 4. d municipalities.
<br />Bu' the nest c:)mpelling r.a:.v cluiring departments
<br />to adop' mandatui y Eeat h-lt 4 .,Ps G^s in the very
<br />n,au,o c,` pi.'; •e v '.r ice ofl...crs ire the most
<br />visible "FNesentatw . ,,,!9cal goVe'r a pent. Officers'
<br />acf+rn should rensc,t the utmost respect for the law.
<br />Attr'r all, if a police oft+cer doesn't buckle u,,. who ulil�
<br />('.tus Z ras written by Minnesota Attorney
<br />General t . -rt ' 'umphrtiy IV f;.. League of G+ties
<br />'Aagazine.
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