Halifax security expert says Nova Scotia schools could benefit from patrol officers

As Canadians mourn the lives lost in the Tumbler Ridge school shooting in British Columbia, teachers and students across the country are reflecting on their own safety.

In Nova Scotia, a security professional and former school patrol officer is calling on school boards and the province to take precautionary measures before it’s too late.

“We don’t want to turn our schools into fortresses. The mindset needs to change. People need to acknowledge that it’s a necessity, especially now,” said Ben Joly.

On Tuesday afternoon, a shooter opened fire at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School, killing a female teacher and five students. More than two dozen others were injured.

Alongside the six victims from the school, two others were shot and killed at a separate location before the school shooting — the shooter’s mother and sibling.

During his 10 years as a school patrol officer, including with the Halifax Regional Municipality, Joly says he’s seen the benefit of having someone in uniform walking the halls.

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“I was able to build relationships with the staff and the kids, the students,” he said. “They knew they can come to me anonymously and say, ‘Hey, so-and-so is doing this, or this might happen at lunch hour.'”

But he adds that to step into a security role, all it takes is “a well-trained person” to be able to assess threats.

“(A well-trained person) will be able assess situations, assess body language. There’s many things that you can pick up on when you know what you’re doing,” he said.

“(Chances are,) 99 per cent (of) things don’t happen, right? It’s that one time, and this time (in Tumbler Ridge) it was a bad one.”

4:17 How are school safety protocols set?

Joly says he feels schools in the province would benefit from patrol officers and it’s something the provincial government indicated they’re open to considering.

“When our kids go to school, they should feel safe, and so should the staff,” said Education Minister Brendan Maguire.

“I have full confidence in the regional centres, I have full confidence in those schools, but if adjustments need to be made, they’ll be made.”