Campus cop bid support

The council’s Conservative group succeeded in gaining support for a motion calling for greater police presence on school campuses.

The motion, presented at t the final meeting of North L Lanarkshire Council’s t term at the Civic Centre in M Motherwell, was presented b by Bob Burgess and Colin C Cameron.

It read: “NLC is fully a aware of the benefits of our c campus police initiative, i instructs our education o officials to compile a paper, w with the collaboration o of Police Scotland, to p progress the initiative and c consider its expansion into h high schools which are i indicating they are in need o of the help and support t that a campus based police o officer can provide.”

The Conservatives a amended this wording t to include part of an SNP a amendment which called f for consultation with young

c

people, including those from minority groups, with their views reflected in the future rollout of the initiative.

Despite this attempt to composite the motion and amendment, the SNP group chose to proceed with their amendment.

This was tabled by Junaid Ashraf seconded by Fiona Fotheringham.

The SNP said their amendment sought to ensure the deployment of police was “proportionate and considered” but that so far the scheme had been “beneficial” in allowing police in Cumbernauld to apprehend misbehaving pupils outside school hours thanks to the relationships built up between campus police and pupils.

“The presence of the campus police officer also supports teachers who are finding it less comfortable to engage with unruly students outside of contact teaching time,” Mr Ashraf said.

However, he added that the heart of the education system is not what is beneficial to police as ultimately schools are a learning environment for young people so any increased security must be introduced with the engagement of pupils.

He also cited academic studies which showed police presence was “disproportionate” in schools where l arge numbers of pupils were working class or from ethnic minorities and there was a “slippery slope” where minor disciplinary issues became criminal matters.

North Lanarkshire Council’s education convener Frank McNally said it was “disappointing” t hat t he attempted composite motion had been rejected as he felt both the motion and the amendment were reasonable.

He added t hat t he council works very closely with Police Scotland while continually engaging with young people. In the subsequent vote the motion was carried 37 votes to 26.