Pubdate: Fri, 29 Aug 2008
Source: Daily Herald-Tribune, The (CN AB)
Copyright: 2008 The Daily Herald-Tribune
Contact: http://cgi.bowesonline.com/pedro.php?id=1&x=contact
Website: http://www.dailyheraldtribune.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/804
Author: Darrell Winwood

MOUNTIES PATROLLING A NEW BEAT THIS YEAR - SCHOOLS FULLY BEHIND MORE 
POLICE IN THEIR HALLS

Students in Grande Prairie could be seeing red more often in school 
this year - red serge that is.

When the bell rings next week, it will mark the start of a one-year 
pilot project that will see RCMP tripling their presence in local 
schools. Three officers will serve as school-resource officers this 
year, up from one and the schools couldn't be happier.

"I'm quite excited for this opportunity ... I hope the interaction 
(students) have with the RCMP is more proactive than reactive," said 
Wanda Gerard, principal at Peace Wapiti Academy.

The increased police presence isn't because of one single incident or 
crime in past years, but rather is the result of a several years of 
lobbying by the school boards and a commitment from the RCMP 
detachment to pay more attention to youth issues and needs, said RCMP 
Cpl. Riz Suleman.

"Youth is a priority, we need to give them more attention," he said.

But more attention doesn't come cheap. It's not uncommon for school 
boards across the province to split the cost of additional police 
officers between boards and the police themselves. However, in this 
case, the Grande Prairie RCMP have funded the increase 100 per cent - 
a commitment of roughly $120,000. Police and the school boards hope 
having more uniforms on campuses will deter illegal activity before 
it even starts and allow police to educate youth who can be easily 
influenced by others.

Public school board superintendent Chris Gonnet said there will 
always be drug and alcohol concerns at and around high schools, and 
more police can help convince unwelcome guests to leave the area.

"A more visible presence will have an impact on traffic in and out of 
the school," he said in reference to the Composite high school.

Suleman agrees that nothing keeps drugs and alcohol out of schools 
like the sight of a police cruiser parked in front, or perhaps an 
officer in civilian clothing just walking around to observe.

"I'm not going to say it's rampant but there is substance abuse 
around the schools," he said. "We'll be using many different methods 
for enforcement."

But it's not just the city's three high schools police will focus on. 
Mounties will visit elementary schools to teach the Drug Abuse 
Resistance Education (DARE) program. Officers will also tour junior 
high schools to interact with students and establish relationships.

Karl Germann, superintendent with the Catholic district, said early 
feedback from parents and staff is they love the idea of RCMP being 
around to meet and talk with the students.

"The response has been overwhelmingly supportive," he said.

Gonnet said every year the public schools run a student survey where 
one of the questions asks them how safe students feel in school. He's 
hoping students will respond to the officers as much as anyone and 
feel more secure.

"The overall thing is to help make our students feel safer in the schools."

Gerard said the one previous officer assigned to the schools was 
always there when needed, but random visits would become fewer as the 
school year went on and the officer become busy with specific cases 
or problem students. More officers will mean students can learn to 
see police not as the heavy hammer of the law, but someone students 
can talk to and learn from, she said.

"You want someone who will come in as an enforcer ... but someone who 
will work well with the students," she said.

The pilot program and additional funding will be re-evaluated later 
in the school year.
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MAP posted-by: Keith Brilhart