STEVE RUSSELL/TORONTO STAR

Const. Ron Chhinzer stops to chat in a hallway as he patrols through North Albion Collegiate, one of about 30 schools in Toronto that have a police officer stationed inside as a result of the Falconer report on school safety.

More schools to have a 'good cop' patrolling halls

June 30, 2009

Louise Brown

EDUCATION REPORTER

Students and families of C.W. Jefferys Collegiate have dropped their opposition to a police officer at the school and will welcome a uniformed, armed constable this fall, after ongoing violence at the high school this year.

Jefferys, whose name has become almost shorthand for school violence in this city, joins two other schools near Toronto's often troubled Jane-Finch community – Westview Centennial and Emery Collegiate – on a list of 20 more to get the "school resource officers," a program the police chief says "gets positive reaction in spades.

"We know there are no bad schools, only schools where students are victimized more than others," said Chief Bill Blair of the Toronto Police Service, "and this program builds trusting relationships with people we are sworn to protect."

It has taken a year for schools in the northwest corner of the city – including Jefferys, where Grade 9 student Jordan Manners was killed in 2007 – to welcome one of the officers assigned to connect with teens and discourage violence by becoming a confidant and mentor rather than an authority figure.

Trustee Stephnie Payne said the three schools changed their minds in the spring after a teen was stabbed at Jefferys and another caught with a loaded handgun.

"A year ago, I didn't feel we needed police in the schools and neither did the community, but after the stabbing last fall and the student with the loaded handgun around Easter, there was overwhelming support to try a police officer," said Payne. "But I told the police chief I don't want to see youth taken out of school in handcuffs; that won't break down the barriers we know leads to kids being afraid to `snitch,'" she added.

Police announced yesterday they will assign uniformed police officers to 50 public and Catholic high schools this fall – up from 30 this year – to "build a mutual respect between my officers and the young people of this city."

Blair said police are combing through data to see whether the schools with police officers saw a drop in violence and other problems, although he said early signs suggest schools with police had fewer weapon incidents and less cause for suspension.

"They're meant to be the `good cops,'" said vice-principal John Brady of James Cardinal McGuigan Catholic High School, where he said Const. Gavin Jansz was not involved in a single disciplinary incident.

"I coached junior basketball and varsity softball," said Jansz, "and wore a tutu in the school Christmas concert – you want to change students' image of you to someone who's not too proud to help."

Officer Kevin White of Downsview Secondary School would go in the weight room at lunchtime and offer tips, and over the year, found students he used to deal with as a street crime officer began to drop by his office to show off their good marks.

"I don't get on them about wearing hats or skipping class – other people can do that," said White. "But gradually they've started coming in for advice on all sorts of issues, personal and legal, which is good."

COPS IN SCHOOLS

New schools to have police officers starting this fall: