Guelph’s chief of police would like to see the department’s school resource officer program continue, even as some other school boards have decided to end them.
Both the Upper Grand and Wellington Catholic school boards are reviewing the school resource officer program operated by Guelph Police Service. Both boards have said they received questions from the community about police presence in schools and both said they received concerns that police were targeting Black, Indigenous and people of colour (BIPOC) students.
Chief Gord Cobey said the goal of the program is to ensure the safety and security of our students and the school community.
“We certainly acknowledge that some in our community have expressed some concerns or questions in relation to the resource officer program and specifically how we are meeting the needs and representing the experiences of some of our students who are from our BIPOC community,” said Cobey in an interview on Wednesday.
The Upper Grand District School Board has set up a task force to look into the issue, while the Wellington Catholic District School Board will look at the issue this fall as it develops its equity plan.
In 2017, the Toronto District School Board cancelled its long-running school resource officer program after a report to the board recommended eliminating it.
Cobey said he looks forward to the program continuing to meet the needs of the community, whatever those may be deemed to be.
“They have a responsibility to look at the resource officer program and make their decisions on what the program should look like moving forward to best serve the whole community based on community input,” said Cobey.
“I know that over the years our members have really worked hard and enjoyed the opportunity to serve the students, to work in the school community, and they really appreciate it because it’s an opportunity for lots of positive, proactive relationships and interactions.”
Constable Brian Murphy is the current media relations officer with Guelph Police but was at one time a school resource officer with the department.
“The base of the program is in the title itself, resource officer. We are there as a resource for not only the students, but also for the staff,” said Murphy. “There was a lot of friendly banter. I got to know a lot of the kids.”
Murphy said his primary role in the program was to make presentations to students on a wide range of subjects. He would also act as mock trial judge in some law classrooms during his time in the program.
“Students would come to us with school projects and if it was a law enforcement or law-based project they could come to us,” he said.
Murphy said tickets and arrests were very rare during his time as school resource officer, which he attributes in part to effectiveness of the program itself.
“We are police officers, so absolutely enforcement is a part of it. We do walk the halls and I tried to be visible before and after school, as well as lunch hours because thats when kids are out and about,” said Murphy. “Sometimes things go on in those areas that shouldn’t be happening in the schools and when I am there they are not going to be going on, so I tried to make myself very visible.”
Murphy said there is always an opportunity to tweak the program for today’s needs.
“We want — whether it’s the high school resource program or any area — to make sure we are constantly listening, learning, reviewing and improving. That applies to everything we do and all of the services we provide,” he said.
