RCMP TO PATROL SCHOOLS

Cops In The Classroom?

Beginning this fall, the local school district will fund one full-time RCMP
officer to work with local schools - to educate and enforce.

Kamloops-Thompson school district superintendent Terry Sullivan said the
demand for RCMP resources has been increasing for positive programs such as
DARE, anti-violence programs, school liaisons and the detection and
enforcement pillar of the district's new three-pillar pilot drug program.

The officer would work regular school hours and, although focused on the
drug pilot schools, would also work on other issues within the district.

The funding would be a one-year pilot and would be subject to review. It
was passed unanimously as part of the district's new drug and alcohol
prevention-intervention pilot program Monday night.

But the board of trustees was divided on the idea of police officers in
classrooms.

"A stronger RCMP presence in the schools has really been lacking over the
years," said trustee Kim Van Tine. "We know there is a very significant
drug problem in the schools."

Trustee Dick Dickens was less enthusiastic.

"There are some very specific areas [of the drug pilot program] that I am
not comfortable with at this point," Dickens said. "Part of it has to do
will the RCMP presence in schools."

Trustee Gerald Watson said he could see some of the benefits of having a
police officer in classrooms - namely leadership and education - but "I'm
also very concerned that we may be hiring an RCMP officer to come into our
school system and arrest our troubled youth."

But, Van Tine said, "I couldn't more strongly disagree. Drugs are illegal.
The sale of drugs in our schools is illegal, and if there are those types
of individuals who chOose to partake in that type of activity, they should
be punished."

Over the summer, district administration will work with RCMP to establish
the officer's duties and responsibilities. Sullivan said he expects the
officer would be in place by late September.

The program is not unique. The Coquitlam school district funds seven RCMP
officers - six in Coquitlam and one in Port Moody. Each officer is
responsible for 10 schools.

A similar level of staffing in Kamloops would require four RCMP officers.