SD57 defends strong relationship with RCMP amid debate over police presence in schools

“We have a very valued relationship with our RCMP and in all of our communities,” said School District 57 Superintendent Jameel Aziz.

Although the district does not operate a formal School Liaison Officer program, Aziz said communication between schools and police remains strong and ongoing.

“We have monthly meetings with them just to talk about community issues and things that might be impacting our schools,” he said.

Those regular discussions allow school administrators and police to share information about concerns that could affect students, whether those concerns are occurring in schools or in the broader community.

The relationship comes at a time when schools are facing increasingly complex challenges. From social media pressures and cyberbullying to gang recruitment and artificial intelligence, educators and police alike are adapting to a rapidly changing landscape.

Prince George RCMP Corporal Jennifer Cooper has spent years speaking to students in local schools and says those interactions are aimed at education rather than enforcement.

She estimates she has addressed students hundreds of times over the course of her career.

“This is kids of all ages,” Cooper said. “Talking to them about, you know, even as young as kindergarten, grade one. What’s the difference between a good secret and a bad secret? Because there are adults who ask kids to keep secrets they shouldn’t keep. And so we explain it to them in a way that makes sense to them.”

Cooper said the conversations vary depending on the age group. Younger students often receive information about personal safety and recognizing inappropriate behaviour, while older students are more likely to hear about online risks, substance use, gang recruitment and digital safety.

Supporters of police involvement in schools say those presentations can provide students with valuable information and create relationships that make them more comfortable seeking help when problems arise.

Critics, however, contend that police presence can contribute to criminalization of student behaviour and may negatively affect some students’ experiences in school.

One of the organizations advocating for change is Policing Free Schools.

According to the group, its mandate is to move “… towards policing-free schools by uprooting the multiple ways that policing and carcerality show up in educational spaces beyond police presence.”

The organization is part of a broader movement that argues schools should focus resources on counsellors, youth workers, mental health professionals and community-based support systems rather than police relationships.

The B.C. Civil Liberties Association has also been involved in discussions surrounding police presence in schools throughout the province.

Despite those concerns, Cooper believes police are able to provide a perspective that is difficult to replicate because officers regularly witness the real-world consequences of criminal activity and victimization.

“At the other end of the spectrum, we see the victims and what happens to them,” she said.

“We see trends in what maybe kids are doing online, or trends that are leading kids into gang activity. And we see what happens when kids get into gangs. We know what happens. We can see that pattern.”

That perspective, she said, often allows police to identify emerging issues long before they become obvious to parents, teachers or administrators.

School environments can be challenging social settings where rumours spread quickly and students who are struggling may not always reach out for help. Cooper said exposure to investigations and victim reports gives officers insight into patterns of behaviour that can serve as warning signs.

In recent years, many of those warning signs have increasingly appeared online.

Social media has transformed the way young people communicate, and with those changes have come new dangers. Online exploitation, cyberbullying, sextortion and exposure to harmful content have become growing concerns for both families and educators.

The emergence of artificial intelligence has added another layer of complexity.

Tools powered by AI are changing how students communicate and interact online, creating both opportunities and challenges for schools.

Cooper said staying current with those developments requires continuous learning.

“I myself just recently went through kind of like an online team session for recent trends in social media and how emojis are changing and being used,” she said.

What may appear to adults as harmless symbols can sometimes carry entirely different meanings among young people. Police agencies, educators and parents are increasingly trying to stay informed about those evolving trends.

For officers working with youth, understanding those changes can be critical in identifying potential concerns before they escalate.

The speed with which online culture evolves presents challenges for everyone involved in youth services. New applications, communication methods and digital trends emerge constantly, often leaving adults scrambling to keep up.

That reality has helped reinforce the importance of collaboration between schools and community partners, according to Aziz.

While the district does not have officers permanently assigned to schools, it maintains regular contact with the RCMP and views the relationship as part of a broader effort to support student well-being.

The superintendent said one of the most important factors in helping young people is ensuring they have trusted adults they can approach when they need assistance.

For some students, that trusted person may be a teacher or counsellor. For others, it may be a principal, coach, family member or police officer.

Aziz said having someone available to listen and provide support is invaluable regardless of who that individual may be.

The debate surrounding police in schools is unlikely to disappear anytime soon.

Across Canada, school districts continue to examine the role law enforcement should play in educational settings. Some districts have reduced or ended school liaison programs, while others have maintained partnerships they believe serve students effectively.

In Prince George, the relationship between School District 57 and the RCMP appears focused on communication, education and prevention rather than enforcement.

The monthly meetings between district officials and police provide opportunities to discuss emerging community concerns, while classroom presentations offer students information on issues that can directly affect their lives.

For Cooper, the goal is simple: helping young people understand risks before they become victims.

For Aziz, the emphasis is on ensuring students have access to support when they need it.

While advocacy organizations continue to push for policing-free schools, local educators and police maintain that cooperation between the two groups can play an important role in addressing the increasingly complex issues facing today’s students.

As technology evolves and new challenges emerge, both sides agree on at least one point: keeping young people safe requires awareness, education and trusted relationships.

Whether those relationships include police officers remains a matter of ongoing debate across the province, but in School District 57, officials say the partnership with the RCMP continues to be a valued one.

by Cheryl Jahn

SD57 defends strong relationship with RCMP amid debate over police presence in schools

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