School District 46 has signed two new agreements aimed at making schools safer.
One is a partnership with Sunshine Coast RCMP to help support programs such as School Liaison Officers and Youth Restorative Justice.
Board officials says, “This agreement outlines the district’s relationship with the RCMP and describes the response plan to deal with matters of mutual concern. The primary objective of this agreement is to reduce offending behaviour and the victimization of young people in the schools and communities of the Sunshine Coast.”
SD 46 Assistant Superintendent Greg Kitchen says the MOU formalizes a lot of things the School District and the RCMP were already doing. “This recognizes some of our existing practices as well as elaborates on some best practices moving forward,” he says. Cpl Steve Chubey signed the agreement on behalf of the RCMP. “(it’s based on) making sure we have school liaisons in every school, having our youth intervention officer within our schools and having visibility within our schools and interacting with students and faculty,” he says.
The other agreement brings together the School District, RCMP and the Ministry of Child and Family Development in a “Community Protocol for Dealing with High-Risk Student Behaviour”. It sets out guidelines for dealing with any perceived or real threat of violence.
