POLICE MAY WATCH OVER SCHOOLS

School board members approved a motion Monday that may allow police
officers to lay down the law in district schools this fall.

Supt. Terry Sullivan will work with police over the summer to draft a
protocol outlining the extent of RCMP involvement in city schools and
how much their duties will cost.

He will present the protocol to board members at a meeting on Aug. 30.

Board members are welcome to submit their ideas about the role the
police should have to Sullivan and director Karl deBruijn.

If Sullivan's report meets with the board's approval, one officer will
perform drug and alcohol enforcement and prevention duties in NorKam,
Barriere, Logan Lake secondary and their feeder schools -- Bert
Edwards, A.E. Perry, John Todd, Arthur Hatton, Barriere and Logan Lake
elementary schools during the 2004-2005 school year.

"The officer will work our hours and our shifts to help supplement
police services in our district," said Sullivan.

"They will most likely be someone who is young, who enjoys working
with children and youths and who can make a connection with children
and youth."

The officer will be in uniform most of the time but would occasionally
work in civilian clothes when the situation allowed.

The schools selected for the project matched the sociodemographics
that were needed and showed a willingness to take part, said deBruijn.

"They really wanted to be a part of this and see it work."

An evaluation -- to be prepared by the department of criminology and
criminal justice at the University College of the Fraser Valley --
will take place next June to judge the effectiveness of the program.

If the findings are favourable, more officers may be added to other
area schools.

"We're committed to do this, to see if it works and then take it from
there," he said.

While trustee Dick Dickens was apprehensive about the RCMP being able
to carry out enforcement duties in schools, trustee Kim Van Tine was
pleased to see the board move in that direction.

"I believe we are finally moving in a direction that the district
needs to go -- with a stronger RCMP presence in schools. That is
something that has really been lacking over the years."

An intervention, detection and education program will accompany the
project. It will be carried out by Angela Lawrence, the district's
drug and alcohol intervention co-ordinator.

If approved, the project will be funded from a cash surplus in the
district's Community Link Funding. This was developed to deal with the
problem of drugs and alcohol in schools.