Nunavik school board, police force sign new agreement
Deal spells out how police will conduct interventions and crime prevention in region’s schools
Robbie Watt, the president of Kativik Ilisarniliriniq, is pictured with Kativik Regional Police Force chief Jean-Pierre Larose in Kuujjuaq. The two organizations have signed a new agreement that details the role of police in Nunavik’s schools. (Photo courtesy of KRG)
Nunavik’s school board and the region’s police force have signed a new agreement that spells out how police interact with students in schools across the region.
Kativik Ilisarniliriniq and the Kativik Regional Police Force say the new agreement, in effect as of April 12, acts as a cooperative framework for crime prevention programming and police intervention that happens within the region’s schools.
Previously, KRPF officers were able to come into Nunavik’s schools as needed, but school board president Robbie Watt said there few clear guidelines for when and how that should happen.
The new agreement outlines a partnership between police and educators to develop crime prevention programming in the classroom.
Watt said the KRPF has funding to hire three new prevention officers, who will be based in Kuujjuaq, Puvirnituq and Salluit, who will tour the region’s schools.
The second part of the agreement provides guidelines on how police officers should approach the school and students during emergency situations.
“If there is an incident in a classroom, [you have to take] into consideration that you have an audience,” Watt said. “You don’t want to traumatize them. So there needs to be protocol in place.”
That protocol would ensure police give prior notification to schools before they arrive—so long as there is no emergency—and restrict police to a designated area within the school.
The agreement is also in place to raise the visibility of officers working in the community, Watt added.
The earlier students can build a relationship with police, the better chance officers will have to reduce and deter crime, he said.
“When you go into any of our communities, the biggest structure you see is our schools. We have over 3,000 students to worry about,” he said.
“Children are affected by what’s happening in our communities.”
KI operates 17 primary and secondary schools in Nunavik’s 14 communities.
“Children are affected by what’s happening in our communities?” huh..is this why the KRPF needs to announce themselves prior to visiting the school in non-emergent situations? I’l bet dollars to donuts that protocol exists with no other agency…seems to me like a continuation of the demonization of police based on the actions of distraught alcohol and drug fuelled offenders. Hey, let’s build relationships with police, but then limit those interactions to formally announced visits coupled with restricted access within the school…PC at it’s finest.
I wholeheartedly agree that we should remove the so called formal announcement for the police to access the school. In Ontario, many police departments have school liaison officers who visit the schools on a regular basis and interact with the children regarding many of the topics that are of interest to maintaining a great rapport with the police. It works here!
Sounds like another ridiculous policy that will only work to create a bigger gap between the public and the police in Nunavik which is exactly the opposite of what should be happening.
Although it would be interesting to read the entire policy the schools and police in Nunavik would have their time better spent on creating court diversion programs and working on extrajudicial measures programs to keep youth and young adults out of the Quebec court system.
The commissioners of the school board should be declared legally deaf.