Guelph school board taking applications for police presence in schools task force

Guelph’s public school board is seeking applicants for a task force on police officers in schools.

Trustees with the Upper Grand District School Board voted in favour of reviewing the school resource officer program during a meeting in June.

The 13-member panel is being formed in response to concerns about police targeting black, Indigenous and people of colour (BIPOC).

It will consist of seven residents, three school board trustees and three staff members.

Upper Grand said it will make a “specific effort” to include BIPOC representation on the task force.

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Anyone interested in being on the task force can fill out an application on the school board’s website and submit before Aug. 10.

The task force is expected to report back and make recommendations to the school board no later than December.

3:11 TDSB votes to end school resource officer program

In the meantime, Upper Grand, which also encompasses Wellington and Dufferin counties, will continue with its school resource officer program with local police services.

Waterloo Region District School Board suspended its police resource officer program amid a review, while the Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board voted to end its partnership with local police.

Reviews of police in schools are taking place throughout the country in response to the Black Lives Matter campaign, which calls for removing police officers from school.