A local MPP pushing for return of police in publicly funded schools
Nearly four years after the Waterloo Region District and the Waterloo Catholic District school boards ended their School Resource Officer (SRO) programs, a local MPP wants to see the programs reinstated, province wide.
Kitchener South-Hespeler MPP Jess Dixon tabled a motion calling on the Ministry of Education to encourage and support all publicly funded school boards to partner with police services through Community School Liaison Officer (CSLO) programs.
“This motion highlights the essential role these partnerships play in fostering safe, supportive school environments where students, educators, and law enforcement build mutual trust and respect,” Dixon said in a press release.
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The divisive programs ended following months of debate with some arguing that not all students felt safe with a police officer in the their school. Students from communities with strained relationships with police, primarily black, Indigenous and other racialized communities were most affected.
Dixon told The Mike Farwell Show, she believes mending those frayed relationships can be accomplished through CSLO programs.
“If you have that type of problem or concern, my feeling is the response shouldn’t be to simply avoid it but to try to come up with a solution for it.”
Dixon said police forces are made up of officers of all different ethnicities and backgrounds which makes them the perfect conduit to help build trust with those communities. But she adds, safety remains a top priority.
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“We’re certainly hearing from parents and students that don’t feel safe in their schools. And, school resources officers or community liaison officers, as some call them, are a tool in the tool kit.”
Dixon said she spoke with representatives from groups combating gang activity and human trafficking, which fully support SRO or CSLO programs. She also says her motion has a lot of support amongst her collogues at Queen’s Park.
The motion is expected to be voted on in the legislature the first week of December.
