It’s time to reconsider bringing police back into our schools

Re: Councillor wants school board to reconsider police liaison program amid jump in youth violent crime, Aug. 9
With increased incidents of teenagers committing violent crimes, I find it troubling that at a recent meeting, police board chair George Elms prohibited Coun. Esther Pauls from raising a question concerning the significant increase of youth crime. He said the issue had been dealt with previously.
Her question was more than reasonable, as she sought to determine if one of the factors of increased youth crime might be the elimination of police from our schools in 2020.
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Police services board member Dr. Anjali Menezes spoke up to note that she is the only racialized person on the board and that research shows there is a trauma response in having police in schools.
I would like to be sure that Dr. Menezes is aware of research performed in 2018 by Carlton University professors who studied the Peel Regional Police Service and its school resource program. The entire study can be found on the internet. It surveyed 1,300 Grade 9 students across five Peel Region high schools. The 256-page research study showed that a majority of stakeholders — administrators, teachers and students — felt the SRO (student resource officer) acted as a deterrent to criminal behaviour simply by being visibly present at the school.
There was less violence, less drugs, less bullying and fewer robberies. Attendance increased as students missed fewer classes due to being less fearful of intimidation by bullies and gang members. Students reported they were significantly more able to concentrate, in better mental health, less anxiety, fear and feeling depressed, less likely to report difficulties sleeping, and less likely to consider harming themselves or others. It also provided an opportunity for young people and racialized students to meet police officers in a non-threatening way, discuss difficult issues and even to consider a career in policing.
School liaison officer Jag Dhaliwal plays chess at C.B. Sterling School in 2019.
Gary Yokoyama The Hamilton Spectator file photo
When named last November to the police services board as the new community representative, Dr. Menezes said she intended to bring her experience as an anti-racist researcher to help build more trust between residents and police. I believe that prohibiting police from our schools is counterproductive to building trust. It only widens the divide and renders our schools less safe from crime.
Years ago, I was a school resource officer with Hamilton police and worked in many Hamilton high schools. The program allowed myself and other officers to build positive and trusting relationships with students, administrators and members of the community.
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Police being invited into the schools led to less vandalism and reduced overall crime in the school. Teachers and students routinely informed us, verbally and in letters, that they enjoyed and valued the opportunity to discuss important issues in a relaxed and safe environment. The program also served to provide students with firsthand factual information about the danger of drugs, impaired driving and the effect of other crimes on individuals and our community.
Today, they would also discuss the dangers of sexting and how young people can take specific precautions regarding their use of internet social networking with strangers perhaps intent on harm. Sadly, many school boards have chosen to remove the program from many high schools.
If we really wish to build more trust between citizens and racialized youth, we shouldn’t continue to miss out on the positive aspects of a program that allowed police resource officers and students to build bridges of trust while also providing a safer environment for students and staff.