School cop ‘probably a good idea’ say some Montague students and parents

MONTAGUE, P.E.I. — Round 3:30 p.m. on a sunny Might day, two RCMP autos pulled right into a car parking zone bordering the Montague Regional Excessive Faculty property the place college students meet up with mother and father on the finish of the day.

One officer, in a blue and white marked Crown Victoria, pulled as much as a small black automobile with three excessive school-aged boys inside. All of them sat for a couple of moments with their automobile home windows rolled down, speaking.

In the meantime, a gradual stream of oldsters arrived and left with their college students.

After the second police automobile left, the blue and white car completed with the black automobile and pulled over to a nook of the lot.

The check-in is all a part of the RCMP’s position in the neighborhood, however Montague Regional Excessive Faculty principal Robyn MacDonald desires one thing extra everlasting – a college useful resource officer working a couple of days every week to foster a optimistic relationship between college students and police.

“I don’t foresee an ominous determine standing on the door in uniform,” mentioned MacDonald, when she spoke to SaltWire Community in January.

Since then, there was a gathering attended by the mayor of the City of Three Rivers in addition to the RCMP and the varsity’s committee as they work to safe a part-time college useful resource officer (SRO).

Mother and father and children within the pick-up space on Might 25 all agreed it will probably be useful to have extra police presence. SaltWire agreed to not title the mother and father with a view to not determine their children.

“In all probability a good suggestion,” mentioned one mother or father with two children on the college. She mentioned an officer may assist stop or cease fights. “(College students would) really feel extra protected.”

One other mother or father mentioned an SRO would act as a deterrent for dangerous behaviour and might be a useful resource for teenagers who need assistance, “even past college stuff”.

“It’s an amazing concept from each points,” she mentioned. “There’s simply so many potentialities.”

“If they’ve any points with bullying or something, they’d have that useful resource to assist them.”

– Grandparent of pupil at Montague Regional Excessive Faculty

One mother hadn’t considered having a police officer within the college earlier than however was in favour of the varsity’s efforts.

“I really feel just like the admin know what they want. In the event that they assume it’s a good suggestion, then we should always assist it.”

Grandparents who have been selecting up their pupil mentioned it was “positively an exquisite concept,” to have a college useful resource officer as a result of it will add safety for the youngsters.

“If they’ve any points with bullying or something, they’d have that useful resource to assist them,” mentioned the grandfather.

“I really feel just like the academics do a superb job of serving to maintain it a superb house to really feel protected.”

– Grade 10 pupil at Montague Regional Excessive Faculty

A Grade 10 pupil who was ready for her experience mentioned she’d seen some fights between college students currently which she hoped a useful resource officer may assist with.

“I really feel just like the academics do a superb job of serving to maintain it a superb house to really feel protected,” she mentioned.

Provincial matter

Stopping into the highschool is simply one of many methods the RCMP in Montague keep seen to children within the space, Sgt. Leanne Butler, who’s with the Kings District RCMP, mentioned in a telephone interview with SaltWire on Might 24.

Every college in an RCMP-policed space has a liaison officer, she mentioned. That officer visits commonly to present talks and be accessible for college administration to name on.

“We do get come calls to the varsity, however very often the calls that we get on the college are reported to the officers which are assigned there,” mentioned Butler. “It’s not like we’re known as to the varsity each day to interrupt up fights.”

Ed MacAulay, mayor of the City of Three Rivers, mentioned he helps MacDonald’s efforts to extend the police presence on the college when he spoke to SaltWire Community on Might 24 by telephone.

“To me, it’s an affordable request,” mentioned MacAulay. “All you must do is seek the advice of with the excessive colleges who do have the presence of a police authority, it appears to work rather well.”

Having an officer within the college alleviates fears of police, builds belief and can be an asset to the varsity well being groups and steerage counsellors, he mentioned.

“It makes a whole lot of sense,” mentioned MacAulay, a social employee who graduated from Montague Excessive Faculty and whose two sons additionally attended the varsity.

“The problems of at present (have) definitely grown over (time), particularly with the sexploitation and telephones and people sorts of issues. … At this level in historical past, perhaps the excessive colleges do want extra police presence.”

MacAulay mentioned the RCMP do an amazing job of policing, however what MacDonald is in search of is somebody the scholars can join with.

“Somebody the scholars can really feel that they’ll belief and get good path from and, you understand, in the event that they do get right into a jam, have somebody to go and speak to. That’s one thing that’s at all times been wanted,” mentioned MacAulay.

Nonetheless, an SRO comes with a value. MacAulay mentioned he want to see the committee make a presentation to council quickly with its proposal after which once more nearer to funds time so the city can add think about including price into its annual calculations.

Butler mentioned the choice to allocate a brand new officer for the varsity should come from the provincial legislature.

“We definitely couldn’t take any person from our complement to try this. There’s a whole lot of shifting elements,” she mentioned.