T.O. students to protest police presence in schools

Updated: Tue Oct. 20 2009

ctvtoronto.ca

Students at Northern Secondary School have decided to go ahead with a
planned rally later this week to protest a Toronto police program that
places officers in the classroom.

Organizers of the protest say they decided to hold the protest against the
wishes of school officials to allow the public to speak out on the issue.

Students were in talks Monday with local school trustee Josh Matlow to
hold a formal debate on the issue instead of taking their fight to the
street. Talks broke down Monday afternoon after Matlow suggested a closed
meeting between classroom representatives and school officials.

"We really need to have a public, open and publicized consultation for all
members of the community to attend," said grade 12 student Harrison
Jordan.

Matlow, whose ward includes Northern, said he wasn't opposed to having an
open meeting on the topic but that planning it would take time.

Jordan and two Northern students helped organize the demonstration after
an officer arrested a teen on school property earlier this month after he
failed to show proper identification proving his enrollment at the school.

The teen, who was indeed a student at Northern, resisted arrest and got
into an altercation with the police officer. The arrest was videotaped and
put on YouTube.

Protest organizer Willie Wilson told ctvtoronto.ca the protest is not
about the specific incident but rather the School Resource Officer program
in its entirety.

The arrest shouldn't have happened in the first place and wouldn't have
happened if the officer was not in the school to begin with, he said.

Though he's not a student at Northern, the incident caught the attention
of Jordan who attends nearby Forest Hill Collegiate. He contacted Wilson
and together with a third student began planning the demonstration for
this Thursday at 11:30 p.m.

"I'm involved because of the systemic issues with the SRO program," Jordan
told ctvtoronto.ca in a telephone interview. "It's really cause for
concern because there is no proper justification for the program."

He said the program has expanded over the last two years and could come to
his school next.

SRO initiative

The SRO program was introduced to the Toronto District School Board by the
police about two years ago. Under the initiative, officers are assigned to
a school in their division to help patrol the hallways and ensure a safe
environment.

The goal of the program is not only to enhance security at schools across
the city but also to build positive rapport with youth in the community.

Jordan said there is a time and a place to build on community relations
and inside a school might not be the best option.

"We are in agreement that schools need to remain safe and we do accept the
fact that there needs to be positive relations between students and the
police force but school hallways are not efficient venues to do this," he
said. "If police officers want to take part in after-school programs or
community programs to strengthen ties, that is alright."

The SRO program was put in place shortly after human rights lawyer Julian
Falconer released a report on school safety in the city. In the report,
Falconer made dozens of recommendations, none of which had anything to do
with turning police officers into hallways monitors, Jordan said.

Jordan said students also have a problem with the fact that the TDSB does
not have an official policy on the SRO program and that trustees did not
vote in the initiative.

But Trustee Matlow says the school board did in fact debate the issue when
it was introduced.

Matlow said he tried to tell the students they could make a change by
having an organized discussion with stakeholders of the program.

"We need informed, thoughtful and respectful dialogue," he said. "Their
views will be heard much better than if it was through a megaphone but
thus far, they are rejecting our offer."

He said if there objective is to have their voices heard, there are many
people who are willing to listen.

"Whether you support the SRO program like I do or disagree with it, it is
a valid public discussion," Matlow said.

The trustee said he tried to dissuade the students from holding the
protest because of safety concerns. Organizers have said it will be held
on public property adjacent to Northern.

The school is located on Mt. Pleasant Avenue and public property mainly
includes a small sidewalk. Matlow said he doesn't want to see the students
spilling out onto the street.