Another school division ends program with Winnipeg police in schools

Another Manitoba school division is ending a program that put police officers in its schools.

The Louis Riel School Division is pulling out of the Winnipeg police school resource officer (SRO) program. The division has had one officer working across 40 schools annually since 2016.

"Despite discontinuing the SRO program, LRSD acknowledges its ongoing relationship with the WPS," Christian Michalik, LRSD superintendent, said in a statement on Wednesday.

"We need to do our part to nurture a positive, constructive and productive relationship to ensure both our organizations best serve families in St. Vital and St. Boniface."

The board of trustees voted to end the program on Tuesday after discussions with students, staff and and families who raised concerns.

This past spring, the Winnipeg School Division ended its participation in the program, citing financial reasons for the move. LRSD's motives differed, though they included financial considerations, according to the division.

"Feedback from our community, specifically those who are Black, Indigenous and people of colour (BIPOC), illuminated issues of ongoing inequity and systemic racism in LRSD," Michalik said in a statement. "Despite genuine investments, efforts and commitments, we still have a lot of work to do to ensure all students thrive and flourish in our schools."

Money previously allocated to the SRO program will now be invested in a diversity, equity, inclusion and anti-racism initiative for the entire division.

Michalik said with limited resources, the division has to focus more on addressing barriers and disparities.

"Listening to the voices of our community in an equity-informed matter compels us to act with urgency," he said in a statement.

That means speeding up planned work on the division's multi-year plan to address systemic racism, Michalik said.

The work will be informed by ongoing discussions with a coalition called Equity Matters, which is made up of Indigenous, racialized and newcomer organizations and groups associated with oppressed communities. 

Goals for this school year include developing diversity, equity, inclusion and anti-racism policy, planning and professional development programming, and an ongoing review of curricula through the lens of those issues.

The division also hopes to create and implement an employee equity policy and plan, expand equity-based data collection on outcomes and begin a yearly equity accountability reporting process, the division said.

The hope is also to create a diversity, equity and inclusion office devoted to working on issues of systemic racism.

"Work toward these goals has already begun," LRSD board chair Louise Johnston said in a statement. "We are building on past efforts to address inequities and I truly look forward to the courageous journey ahead."