OPP WANT OFFICER IN GLENDALE BY SEPTEMBER

OPP: Officer Would Also Sit On Youth Committee

The OPP wants officers in Glendale High School, but insists the move
would be proactive rather than reactive.

Oxford OPP Detachment Commander Insp. Jack Goodlett, accompanied by
Const. Dennis Harwood, was a guest speaker at the Mayor's Roundtable
on Youth meeting Feb. 16.

Youth crime is decreasing "substantially," Goodlett said, but added a
police presence in the schools would help students and officers
understand and get to know each other better.

"This is not because we have problems in the schools. This is because
we want to be proactive.

"Tillsonburg is a relatively safe community to live in. We don't have
a very high crime rate. This is a good indicator to us that we don't
have a very big problem with (youth crime)," he said. "The underlying
theme is to build relationships between the law and the students.
Once the students know who you are, they're not as afraid to approach you."

Harwood knows what Goodlett was talking about.

"I was afraid of police officers," Harwood said of when he was a
student. "What you don't want is kids being afraid of police officers."

The position is set to open this September, in time for the 2006-07
academic year. It's intended to be a four-year position. Ingersoll
District Collegiate Institute is also on the list to receive a
resident officer.

"It's a program we've found to be very successful in other areas,"
Goodlett said, using Brantford as an example.

When it comes time to hire the officers, the selection process will
include officials from the Thames Valley District School Board and
school officials. Also, Oxford OPP will consult Wellington County
OPP. That county has officers in every high school, Goodlett said.
While the main focus is relationship building, the officer would
serve many other purposes.

"If you've got an individual who's walking down the wrong line, the
police officer would recognize that and pay some attention to that,"
Goodlett explained. "The idea of this is to work with the schools and
the board of education instead of always going through the courts."
Coun. Brian Stephenson, who sits on the youth committee, supported
the idea of cops in schools.

"I can see a police officer being very effective in high schools, but
not all day," he said, suggesting they could perform a downtown
walking beat at certain times of the day.

Goodlett is still sorting out all the options.

When students aren't in school -- March break, weekends and summer
break, for example -- the designated officer could possibly perform
youth-related duties in town.

"We're willing to look at a lot of things," Goodlett said.

Tillsonburg council applied for three officers when the Ontario
government introduced its Safer Communities -- 1,000 Officers
Partnership Program. They were approved for one officer, who was to
focus on domestic violence.

Funding will be sought for the new officer, but if none is available,
that doesn't necessarily mean the plan won't go ahead.

"If council can't find it, I'm sure, somewhere in the community, we
can find it. I'm a big believer of having police support in schools,"
said Bill Mates, chair of the Mayor's Roundtable on Youth. "I believe
in maintaining long-term community development visions and doing so
with schools. We support the concept that it would be very helpful
for young people."

Officers don't get into high schools as often as elementary schools.

"We lose that connection," Goodlett said.

The police presence could also deter students from dealing drugs at school.

Goodlett recalled a student who was caught selling marijuana at
school. She was dealt with under school policy and was later caught
again, which led police to find out the student's mother was growing
the weed at home and supplying it to her daughter to sell at school.

"Let's deal with it, but first, we have to find out what's going on.
That's where this police officer will come into play," said Harwood.

The selected officer would also be appointed to sit on the youth committee.