Auxiliary police in school a good idea

THE recent security problems in schools are worrying and could affect the morale of the staff, students, parents and the public.

I have seen numerous posts on social media about crimes and bullying in schools. The current system is inadequate to manage both the daily operation of the school and mitigate these problems as well. Moreover, security personnel are considered private citizens and hence do not have the power to detain offenders in school premises.

While I applaud the proposal to establish auxiliary police teams in schools to curb bullying and crimes, it has to be done in a way that enhances police coverage and reduces such incidents in schools.

Schools should have a control room to monitor daily operations effectively, thus reducing incidents of crimes and fires within their premises.

Hiring guards can be problematic for the school management as it involves the vetting of security companies, some of which may be inexperienced and would fail to deliver the security standards required for schools. There have been cases of rogues being hired as security guards because of inadequate checks on their background.

Having auxiliary police teams in schools would help to curb crimes and disciplinary problems and would subsequently reduce dependency on security guards. It would also instil confidence among the staff, students, parents, and the public.

MILTON HUANG Petaling Jaya