Students in York Region will see uniformed police officers in their schools again but only for safety presentations and emergencies, according to a new protocol announced by York Regional Police today.
“I’m asking for some trust here that we are going to do things differently,” said Chief Jim MacSween at a news conference in Whitchurch-Stouffville on Sept. 19. “As we continue to deliver these programs, I’m confident that trust will be re-established where it is broken and where it exists.”
Both York Region District School Board and York Catholic District School Board suspended and then eliminated the school resource officer and youth education officer programs that had placed full-time police officers in schools in 2021 due to concerns that students were uncomfortable and even intimidated by law enforcement in uniforms.
MacSween said the new protocol will promote trauma-informed, anti-oppressive, and anti-racist approaches to community safety.
The Ontario Ministry of Education requires school boards to have protocols that manage police involvement in schools and review them regularly.
Under the new police and school protocol, YRP youth engagement officers will speak to students about issues such as road and traffic safety, while secondary school students will also learn about pathways to a career in law enforcement.
MacSween said presentations could also include current crime trends in the community such as gun violence, carjackings and robberies. Officers will only visit schools for presentations when invited and will not be there on a full-time basis.
Parents will be advised two weeks before when an officer will be at the school for a presentation. They can choose to have their children not attend if they want.
“You will not see the officers in the schools walking the halls,” said MacSween. “That is different from what we have done before.”
He said anyone concerned about the protocol can contact police.
