Officers ‘essential’ to Catholic schools, school district says
Program supervisor ‘blown away’ by how students have reacted to police postings
They coach volleyball teams, show up for school plays, and round up winter coats for students living in poverty.
Edmonton police officers, acting as school resource officers, go beyond the usual calls of policing, and are an “essential component” of schools, says an Edmonton Catholic school district report.
“The benefits are truly immeasurable,” Robert Martin, assistant superintendent, district operations and information and infrastructure technology services, told the Catholic school board at a Tuesday meeting.
When Martin asked schools for anecdotes about the program, he was inundated with positive stories, he said.
Officers have been posted in Edmonton Catholic schools for more than 35 years. They are in 31 Edmonton schools, including 12 Catholic schools, and serve in junior and senior highs.
Edmonton school boards pay 42 per cent of the annual salary for each officer, with the Edmonton Police Service covering the rest.
Their school postings allow officers to build relationships with students that leave youth comfortable enough to report potential crimes to police they normally wouldn’t, said Sgt. Em Chan, one of two program supervisors, in a Monday interview. “I’m blown away at the disclosure we’ll receive from children. They trust the police so much, that they approach us with something that’s unfortunate that’s happened in their life,” he said.
In addition to helping with school lockdown drills and emergency preparedness, school resource officers run awareness programs on the danger of deadly opioids, such as fentanyl, and help school staff identify mental health and addiction issues.
Last month, the Toronto District School Board voted to terminate its school resource officer program after a report found some students felt intimidated by armed police in schools. Some groups said officers in schools criminalized students, and contributed to racism in the education system.
Chan knows of no racism complaints about officers in Edmonton schools. Discrimination has no place in the program, he said.
Ultimately, Chan hopes the officers’ uniformed presence prevents crime. If a student does run afoul of the law, police do everything they can to find a suitable alternative to criminal charges, he said.
The district report points to a school resource officer at Mother Margaret Mary High School, who created a “payoff” program, where students who commit a minor offence agree to clean up litter on school property, or participate in a workout program to avoid facing formal charges.
“Charge, charge, charge — that’s the lazy and irresponsible approach,” Chan said.
In 2016, school resource officers opened 2,700 police files, less than seven per cent of which resulted in arrests, Chan said. Not all of those arrested were students, and a smaller proportion were formally charged, he said.
And, yes — school resource officers carry guns, Chan said.
Chan said officers are careful in their approach to new immigrants, who may come from countries where they fear police. After refugees arrived from Syria last year, the officers took them aside to warn them about an upcoming lockdown drill, and explain there was no cause for panic, Chan said.
Board vice-chair Sandra Palazzo said she was “in awe” of the relationships officers had with students while she worked as a teacher, and thanked the officers for their service.
(Students) trust the police so much, that they approach us with something that’s unfortunate that’s happened in their life.