TDSB appears to strike down bringing back school police officers

Toronto District School Board (TDSB) trustees appeared to rule out a revival of the controversial School Resource Officer (SRO) program during a special meeting on Wednesday night.

The meeting was held to discuss the recent rise of violent incidents in and around Toronto public schools. Trustees first convened on Monday night but the meeting stretched on for more than four hours and was ultimately put on hold, resuming on Wednesday.

One of the major topics discussed was whether the SRO program should be revived in some form, however no formal proposal was ever made.

“We did have varying perspectives shared last night by trustees on both sides of the issue although no motion was introduced last night or [in the] past to speak to police in schools but I can tell you in general that the SRO program was cancelled back in 2017, but we still have a good relationship with Toronto police,” TDSB spokesperson Ryan Bird told CP24 on Thursday.

“If there’s an urgent safety matter at a school, we’re not wasting any time, we call 911; we need police supports, so that has continued since that program ended and will continue going forward; we can’t mess around, when there is an urgent safety threat; if we think the safety of our students and staff might be in danger, we’re calling police.”

The SRO program was launched in 2008 after 15-year-old Grade 9 student Jordan Manners was shot and killed at C.W. Jefferys Collegiate Institute in North York.

Trustees voted to end the program after many students, particularly Black, Indigenous and students of colour, reported feeling uncomfortable and even intimidated by the police presence.

Activists say the same problems will arise again if officers are placed back in schools and that it would be a mistake to reinstate the program.

Others, such as Ward 3: Etobicoke-Lakeshore TDSB trustee Patrick Nunziata, say that the TDSB and Toronto police should be able to work together proactively in some way, rather than only interacting when an urgent safety matter arises.

“I agree that a cop in school is pedagogically problematic from a student discipline perspective,” Nunziata said at last night’s meeting.

“I think it’s a little silly and unfortunate that newcomers to this country feel unsafe around the police due to their immigration status and I get it that these armed figures of authority can stoke anger and conflict but I’m still surprised that after 24 years of amalgamation, we have two institutions that have been pushed into operating independently of each other and only working together reactively.”

Wednesday’s meeting also included the discussion of a safety report and action plan, written by TDSB staff, that was first introduced at the end of the board’s meeting on Monday.

The report puts forward a plan to tackle the issue of school safety going forward, which includes over $2 million in investment to assist with the hiring of additional staff including safety monitors, councillors and social workers.

The report also mentions expanding its partnerships with community organizations and continuing to work with the City of Toronto and the Toronto Police Service (TPS).

“The TDSB will continue to work with TPS in ways which promote school and community safety including police presence at/in schools when deemed necessary based on school and community feedback,” the report says.

Larissa Bholaramsingh, whose daughter attends Woburn Collegiate Institute; where an 18-year-old was fatally shot on Halloween, said that she is in favour of police returning to schools as a “stopgap measure.”

“I’m asking all of you to consider a stopgap measure and put police back in school right now. There are so many kids who are doing their best and giving their all because they want a brighter future. It’s very unfair that they are being subjected to those who are choosing a different path,” she said on Monday.

Bholaramsingh also said she understands the concerns that people have about racism being perpetuated by officers stationed in schools, which was one of the main reasons the SRO program was cancelled.

“My kids are Black, I get that,” she said.

“But I want them alive.”

Still, the majority of TDSB trustees say they’re against bringing the SRO program back.

“In 2017 when I voted to remove SRO program, I didn’t do it because I was told to by activists. I did it because I had experience with students and staff at school who asked SRO to leave because of problematic interactions with students at that school,” said Shelley Laskin, trustee for Ward 8: Eglinton-Lawrence and Toronto-St Paul’s.

The TDSB will continue their series of special meetings tonight, as parents, trustees and other stakeholders are set to continue discussing the contents of the report and the board’s safety strategy going forward.

Anu Sriskandarajah, trustee for Ward 22: Scarborough-Rouge Park, said last night that simply deciding not to bring back the SRO program is only one part of the solution to combating violence in schools and that much more still needs to be done.

“I don’t think we should leave this board meeting patting ourselves on the back for simply not reinstating SROs, that is just one piece of this, there’s so much more to do… We need to talk about reallocating resources,” Sriskandarajah said.

Bird says TDSB meetings and public consultations aren’t likely to end anytime soon and that the process of ensuring students are safe in schools must be ongoing.

“This is by no means the end but it’s certainly showing some progress over recent weeks that we’re hearing what people have to say and we’re taking action,” he said.