EPSB votes to reinstate School Resource Officer program

The Edmonton Public School Board (EPSB) has voted to reintroduce the School Resource Officer (SRO) program, four years after it was suspended. Elliott Knopp attended the heated debate.

The Edmonton Public School Board (EPSB) has voted to reintroduce the School Resource Officer (SRO) program, four years after it was suspended.

The SRO program was halted by EPSB in 2020 after community members raised concerns over a lack of data to support the need for police in school, and that some marginalized community members did not feel comfortable with the program.

Edmonton Public says it has spent the last year collecting feedback from parents, students and educators. It attempted to replace that program with the Youth Enhanced Deployment Model, which was later dropped.

“It is incredible the momentum that this board has created in our schools around making sure that kids have safe, welcoming, caring, inclusive learning environments,” EPSB superintendent Darrel Robertson said.

“But I don’t think there should be one of us thinking that we can’t do better.”

RELATED: Reintroducing school resource officers puts racialized students at risk: education advocate

The result of the vote does not mean police officers will be returning to all EPSB schools – that decision will fall on each individual principal.

The Edmonton Police Service said in a statement it was “pleased” with the school board’s vote.

“We look forward to beginning conversations with Edmonton Public Schools when they are ready,” EPS said.

“Our SRO Unit is a team of highly passionate and dedicated officers that work diligently with their schools and surrounding communities to support its young people.”

The SRO program began in 1979 to create a police presence inside some Edmonton schools. EPS says the goal of the program was to keep schools safe for students and staff by “balancing enforcement with prevention and intervention.”

Police say the presence of SROs in schools helps prevent “bullying, graffiti and vandalism, harassment or stalking, robbery or theft, or use of weapons or threats.”

READ MORE: Nearly 21K students labelled ‘offenders’ in one decade of EPS school resource officer program

A June 2023 report found most Edmonton families support police in public schools. But several parents and community members attended Tuesday’s vote to express their concerns with a police presence in schools.

“Turning to police as a quick fix for the students’ complex needs at this time is short-sighted. It will only increase their surveillance and punishment,” said parent Alex Da Costa, a University of Alberta professor.

“I’ve spoken with students at my school, and they said they’re feeling even more unsafe knowing that there’s an officer in the school while they are learning,” added student Nicholas Nguyen.

EPSB Chair Julie Kusiek campaigned against SROs to gain her seat on the board. She cast the vote that ultimately saw the program brought back in a 5-3 decision.

“The hardest decision I will have to make, many of my constituents are here speaking today, is to vote in favour of this, and I do think that’s what I have to do,” Kusiek said.

The Edmonton Catholic School Division also uses the program, with 13 SROs in 16 of its schools.

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