The Toronto District School Board (TDSB) has voted to end the decade old School Resource Officer (SRO) programme which saw armed officers posted inside high schools.
Police were asked to be posted in the schools in 2008 after 15-year-old Jordan Manners was shot and killed at a school the previous year. It was thought that having a police officer physically present in the schools would improve safety, and teenagers perception of the police.
However, in recent years the programme has come under criticism saying some students feel intimidated by the police presence in school.
This week the TDSB voted to end the SRO programme meaning police at 45 Toronto area schools will not be returning to the halls of schools this year. Police had not been in the TDSB schools this semester as the board had voted in August voted to temporarily suspend the programme while it made a decision on its future. While it found in a survey of teachers, parents and students that there was a generally positive impression (57%) about 10% of students felt intimidated or that they were being “watched” at school.
The decision to scrap the SRO programme was met by applause from people attending the vote who noted the programme saw police posted only to the most racialized and marginalized areas.
“I think that they’ll live to regret that decision at some point”. M McCormack
Toronto Police Association president Mike McCormack said the vote was disappointing as it was a loss for community policing, and to try to keep young people out of trouble by attempts to resolve issues before they required the attention of the justice system. He added police in the programme were dedicated to the programme and were passionate about breaking down barriers between police and youth.
Quoted by the CBC he added, “It’s too bad that they chose to ignore the value of the SRO program, it’s a shame. And I think that they’ll live to regret that decision at some point”.
The SRO programme will continue however at about two-thirds of Toronto’s Catholic schools, as well as a variety of other schools elsewhere in the province.
For its part the Toronto Police Services Board will be reviewing whether it will continue with those remaining programmes and make a decision expected sometime in December.
An earlier police meeting had been delayed after protesters from Black Lives Matter disrupted the meeting.
Additional information – sources
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