PARENTS VENT THEIR CONCERNS OVER POLICE RAID NEAR SCHOOL

Parents who say their children were potentially put in harm's way
during an afternoon drug raid near Holy Cross elementary school
voiced their concerns to police and school board officials on Tuesday.

In a sometimes emotional exchange, about 20 parents questioned Insp.
Geoff Nelson, Holy Cross principal Jim Harder and Catholic school
board superintendent Trish Kings about the operation - involving
police officers in full tactical gear and carrying rifles - carried
out shortly before children were being dismissed from classes on Feb. 7.

At about 2:45 p.m. that day, officers searched a Grey Street
apartment across the road from Holy Cross. Police confiscated about
$2,000 worth of cocaine and arrested two men. A large quantity of
cash was also discovered.

Nelson said Harder was told of the pending raid just prior to the
operation. Harder said he was assured by police that safety
precautions had been taken and that the raid would be over quickly.
Nelson said officers entered the apartment at 2:48 p.m. and, in one
minute and 40 seconds, determined the residence was safe.

But, when parents began arriving at the school around 3 p. m., there
continued to be a heavy police presence on the street that remained
when students were dismissed close to 3:30 p.m.

Nicole Jacobi was one of the first parents to arrive at the school
shortly before 3 p.m. She said she saw officers pull over a vehicle
near the apartment building.

"I saw the officers on the driver's side holding rifles," she said.
"I instantly felt sick to my stomach."

Jacobi said she got her sons, junior kindergarten and Grade 6
students, and drove to the police station to get more information.

Another parent, Dorothy Reddy, said primary students and those housed
in a portable were dismissed as usual from a door that faces the
apartment building where officers were in full view.

"There were no precautions at all," said Reddy. "It's a situation
that could have gone very wrong."

"The place was crawling with cops with great big guns for our kids to
see," said another parent.

Insp. Nelson explained to parents that most raids of this type begin
with extensive surveillance of a residence. Police then conduct a
detailed risk assessment to determine the safest approach. In this
instance, Nelson said, it was determined that a quick, "surprise"
entry by the emergency response team was appropriate. Police knew
that children lived in the target apartment and adjacent residences,
so decided the safest time for a raid was during school hours. Nelson
also said that if the raid couldn't be done by 3 p.m., it would have
been aborted.

"All aspects of the situation were given consideration," said Nelson.
"It took a matter of seconds for the officers to get in and control
the situation. There was no threat to public safety.

"What you saw was the continuing investigation."

Nelson said police also had plainclothes officers on the playground
during the raid to ensure the safety of students.

But parents questioned why Harder would allow students to be
dismissed from school without first ensuring their safety.

"As principal shouldn't you have the common sense to redirect the
kids so they wouldn't have to see this," a parent asked. "I want you
treating my kids like they were your own. We don't feel our kids were
made the top priority."

Kings said the Brant Haldimand Norfolk Catholic District School Board
has emergency response procedures. Those procedures wouldn't have
been used in this situation because police indicated to Harder that
there were no public safety concerns. Police didn't recommend that
the school be locked down.

Harder said he checked the parking lot of the school prior to
dismissal and saw no police. It was later determined that the
officers were behind the apartment building at the time.

Kings said she called police Chief Derek McElveny after receiving
several parent complaints about the situation.

"We expressed our concern over the situation and everything that
happened," she told parents. "Thank God, no child, teacher, parent or
anyone else was hurt. We will attempt to restore your confidence."

Kings said the board will review the situation and discuss with
police how procedures could be improved if a similar situation arises
in the future. Nelson said a parent suggestion that the school should
have received a second call from police ensuring it was safe for
students to leave will be considered.