Cops in schools

Re. Poll: Should B.C. make school police liaison programs mandatory? (Castanet, Feb. 8)

The school my son went to had a police officer who visited regularly, as well as security guards.

I don’t recall him caring one way or the other about their presence. Yet, I have read articles about police in schools in the U.S. that suggested their presence meant more arrests, replacing school discipline with criminal records.

I imagine that would be of particular concern to visible minorities who already face discrimination. The possibility of graduating with a criminal record would cause many students to keep their heads down and stay quiet, but I’m not sure that is what we want in our schools or our society.

The problem of violence is schools is a community issue and really needs a community response.

I would like to see more data on sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI). Initial reports suggest students feel safer in schools with SOGI. Broadening its use would be a cheaper and probably more effective measure against violent behaviour.

Alex Mcgilvery

(Editor’s note: SOGI is an education initiative aimed at making schools safer and more inclusive for all students.)