Police petition to bring officers back to London schools has been slammed by a black activist

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London’s police union says it’s time to bring back a scheme that places police officers in schools, but a parent and campaigner says the move would set London’s black community back.

The London Police Association has published an online petition arguing that the Student Resource Officer (SRO) scheme should be reinstated.

The Thames Valley District School Board (TVDSB) suspended the program in 2021. The decision was made in response to a board investigation, which found that the presence of officers in schools could be a source of trauma for some groups racialized.

Many school boards in the GTA have made the decision to scrap the program altogether. In London, the TVDSB said it would reverse the decision to suspend the program in the coming months, but did not give a timetable.

In an interview on London Morning, London Police Association President Paulo Dominguesaid not having the scheme for the past year has made students less safe.

“We have always had a very positive relationship with schools, students and teachers,” he said. “We had challenges, but we think the experience was mostly positive. Most students had a positive interaction with our agents.”

Domingues pointed to reports of recent violent incidents at high schools, including fights at Saunders Secondary and a stabbing at HBBealas, as evidence that ORS is needed.

“We believe this program has not increased violence in these schools,” Domingues said.

Gal Harper does not want to see the program return. He is an activist and former member of Black Lives Matter London. He is also the parent of two children, one of whom has just entered the public system in kindergarten.

Activist Gal Harper says people of color experience interactions with police differently, and the presence of police in schools can create an uncomfortable environment for students. (Provided by Gal Harper)

“Having armed police at school is not necessarily a welcoming environment for a lot of black students,” Harper said. “It doesn’t really invoke the kind of feelings or the atmosphere that I would personally want for my kids when they’re supposed to be there to feel safe and be able to learn.”

And while the police union says the role of officers has more to do with education than law enforcement, Harper says it’s a role that could be played by advisers and other professionals. , not by uniformed police officers.

Rick Robson, the union’s chief executive, believes some of the concerns about SROs are based on a misconception of how they work. Robson said the officers were each responsible for four or five schools. Much of their role involves education or preventive response to incidents that could escalate into violence.

“They’re not security guards,” Robson said.

Harper, however, says it’s important to keep in mind that people of color have very different experiences when it comes to police interactions.

“The Black Lives Matter movement really started to get people to hear issues they hadn’t heard before, and lifted the voices of people who felt a certain way,” he said.

Listen to what people are saying

London Morning7:41Police union president wants officers back in schools

In 2021, school boards in the Thames Valley District and London Catholic District got rid of police who worked outside of schools to be more sensitive to racialized students. London Police Association chairman Paulo Domingues told London Morning he believed the move reduced safety and security in schools.

London Morning8:56A London parent explains why he opposes the idea of ​​uniformed police in our schools

The School Resource Officer program is still on hiatus. The London police union says school boards should bring officers back to schools. Black London activist and parent Gal Harper told London Morning the break should be permanent because policing in classrooms can cause trauma to students of colour.

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