CRIME!: COPS ACTIVE IN SCHOOLS

The Langley RCMP is trying to make a positive mark on local students.

Langley RCMP officers who work in local schools have a lot on their plate.

There are two school liaison officers (SLOs) and two full time DARE
instructors handling 11 high schools and 35 elementary schools in the
district. The Langley RCMP will add another school liaison officer in April.

"It's a huge undertaking," Langley RCMP SLO and DARE co-ordinator Cpl.
Laurie Jalbert said. "We have to prioritize and deal with the highest demand."

School liaison officers are the RCMP's lifeline to local students. They
oversee various programs ranging from anti-bullying and drug awareness to
violence prevention and peer counselling.

"We cater to different schools' needs," Jalbert said. "Every school is
different. Obviously, the needs at Apex is different than Walnut Grove
Secondary School."

Officers are also called in to help with peer mediation, a method of
resolution where students sit down together to work out their disputes.

From an enforcement perspective, Langley schools are different from many
other school districts. SLOs don't handle police calls at schools for
incidents ranging from students smoking marijuana on school grounds to
vandalism.

"We aren't there to deal specifically with calls asking us to do an
enforcement role," she said. "The general duties members do that. By
[solely] focusing on prevention measures, we put programs into place to
make sure they are planned and carried out."

Jalbert said the Langley SLOs have established a rapport with the students
they work with, but added "we want to established a continuity with the
students, but given the mobility of the RCMP, that can be difficult to do."

While hesitant to compare this district's crime rate in schools to other
districts because she doesn't have any numbers to base it on, Jalbert said
problems like bullying and theft do exist in Langley.

"On the other hand, we do not have the gang problems to the same extent as
other communities," Jalbert added. "You won't see the Bloods and the Crips
like you see in L.A., for example. Langley still maintains a rural flavour."

At a Glance:

Vandalism in Langley schools

School vandalism cost taxpayers more than $200,000 last year, according to
School District Secretary Treasurer Mac Petrie.

Here's a look at last year's figures:

Vandals did $215,000 damage to local schools last year;

Two-thirds of that cost involved labour to repair damages. Another
one-third was used for materials;

About 80 per cent, or $175,000, of the vandalism was done to the exterior
of schools through graffiti, broken windows and damage to school roofs and
school grounds;

Another 20 per cent, or $40,000, was interior damage and about half of that
occurred in school washrooms.

On average, Langley sees between 800 and 900 incidents of vandalism to its
schools each year.