School Resource Officer program pulled from Edmonton public schools for 2020-21 year

Schools that are part of the Edmonton Public School division will not have school resource officers for this year, the district announced Friday.

Instead, the district will introduce a new Youth Enhanced Deployment model that will see officers trained to respond with youth assigned over the north and south of the city and, subject to availability, will respond to calls in schools and the community.

Police officers will not be assigned to specific schools.

“We’ve heard loud and clear that community members have concerns about the School Resource Officer program and we’ve taken this feedback very seriously,” board chair Trisha Estabrooks said.

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“The board has endorsed the decision that officers will be removed from Edmonton Public Schools this school year while a formal review of the School Resource Officer program is being conducted.”

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When asked about the specific concerns raised during the public hearing process, Estabrooks wouldn’t get into details, saying only that all of the board meetings are recorded and anyone interested could go back and watch. She added the board’s biggest concern with the program was the fact it had never been independently reviewed since it was introduced in 1979.

The Edmonton Police Service said it is disappointed to learn of the school division’s decision.

“The relationship that we’ve had over a number of years, it still exists,” said Supt. Nicole Chapdelaine with the EPS Integrated Community Safety Division, which oversees the SRO unit.

“I think it’s difficult for both the students, the SROs and the schools to see that this has come. It’s disappointing because we have those relationships, we want to continue to provide a level of service to the youth. We saw the impacts that COVID has had on youth and recognize that that still exists. So not being able to be there is difficult.

“We form relationships. Those are hard to sort of step away from.

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“So we’re trying to find a response model that we can still do that in some sort of capacity while respecting the decision of the EPSB school board and allowing the research and the study to go on.”

The YED model was developed over the summer with input from Edmonton Public Schools staff, as well as the EPS.

“Our division and the Edmonton Police Service share the common goals of student, staff and school safety, and positive, proactive engagement with youth,” Edmonton Public Schools Supt. Darrel Robertson said.

“We’re putting the new model in place now so our schools have certainty about how they will be supported as classes begin.”

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Right now, the YED model is in effect only for the 2020-21 school year, but the division said plans for the 2021-22 school year will be based on the review of the School Resource Officer program.

Through the new YED model, Chapdelaine said SRO members will now be referred to as Youth Enhancement Deployment constables.

These constables with continue to work with youth and will focus on supporting youth and families across the city. Their duties will include responding to dispatch calls involving youth, attending to at-risk youth, following up with vulnerable youth and working with youth organizations across the city.

YED constables will also attend schools for “positive youth engagement opportunities,” Chapdelaine explained, but reiterated they will not be based in Edmonton public schools.

“The EPSB has been consulted regarding the deployment of the YED model and they understand that moving forward, all calls for service to EPSB schools will now need to go through the EPS non-emergency line or 911 dispatch centre,” she said.

The review was approved by the board in June and will continue while the new program is in effect. The efficacy of the program has been in the spotlight over the last few months as anti-racism protests and conversation about police funding heated up across the world.

Edmonton Public Schools said the School Resource Officer program cost the division about $1 million for the 2018-19 year, $762,615 for the 2019-20 year and the Youth Enhanced Deployment model will cost the school division about $325,000 for this year.