Edmonton public board votes in favour of bringing back school resource officers

EPSB votes in favour of school resource officers School resource officers will be returning to Edmonton Public Schools after a board vote on Tuesday. Evan Kenny reports.

The Edmonton Public School Board has voted in favour of reintroducing school resource officers (SROs).

Thirty two people spoke at a special board meeting on Tuesday about SROs.

All of the people who spoke at the meeting wanted to see more done to address safety in schools, but the group was divided on what should be done.

SROs were in Edmonton public schools until September 2020, when the board opted to cancel the program because of concerns about the impact on racialized and marginalized students.

Multiple reports and surveys have been conducted on the program since then.

On Tuesday, the board voted 5-3 in favour of resuming the program.

The superintendent says each school will decide if SROs or a different form of policing is used.

The board chair says while she was initially opposed to the idea, she changed her mind after hearing from Edmontonians.

A second vote was held on who and how SROs would be held accountable.

Details on that still aren't clear, but the board voted in favour of giving the superintendent authority for officer accountability.

The Edmonton Police Service says it's looking forward to conversations with the board about reintroducing the SRO program.

Edmonton Catholic Schools has 13 SROs in schools across the city.