Thread by @nilikm

A little weekend 🧵on police in schools, for those who wonder what is abuzz at @OCDSB. You may have seen coverage from @CBCOttawa @ctvottawa @OttawaCitizen (and other less reputable sources). This isn’t a “two-sides” issue, and shouldn’t be up for debate, IMO. #onted #onpoli

The previous @OCDSB board of trustees and community organizations put in tremendous effort to address harms caused by the presence of police in our schools.

The policy to remove police from schools was passed in 2021 by the @OCDSB (on a 10-1 vote) after extensive community 2/

consultations re the history of (and current) bias, discrimination, and trauma experienced by Black, Indigenous, and 2SLGBTQIA students, refugees, newcomers, people with disabilities, and other marginalized @OCDSB staff and students, and their families. 3/

For people interested in the full @OCDSB consultation report, you can read it here: cdnsm5-ss13.sharpschool.com/UserFiles/Serv…

Asilu, a grassroots community organization, also published a report on the adverse effects of police in schools: drive.google.com/file/d/1Ri7w-O…

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The @OCDSB policy adopted in 2021 included an apology to those adversely affected by the SRO police presence in schools, and a discussion of how to establish a more safe and equitable relationship with police. Since then, work has been underway. Some recent news stories 5/

are based on false premises that 1) safety worsened when police were removed; and 2) that proactive work wasn’t already being done to establish an equity-based relationship with police. Safety improved for those in marginalized groups with the 2021 policy. Building trust is a 6/

work in progress. The original motion called for further conversation about how to build a relationship with police. Trust is earned. On the heels of the police response to the Ottawa convoy, and in a context in which Ottawa police officers still wear "thin blue line" 7/

symbols (the Police Association flies a flag featuring that symbol, which is a dog whistle used by far-right, white supremacists who protested the Black Lives Matter movement), IMO there is still a lot of work to be done to establish that trust, between marginalized community 8/

and Ottawa police. Furthermore, there is no evidence that removal of police resource officers from schools resulted in a worsening of crime, nor is there evidence that the police fail to respond appropriate to calls from schools, when needed. When you hear about the issue of 9/

police in schools, do not be sidetracked by “anti-woke”’agendas. There are those who argue that the only way to tackle “violence” in schools is by returning to police presence. That’s neither helpful, nor on the table. We know from the 2021 research that if we are going to 10/

make progress, developing a new relationship must be informed by an equity lens. Our current policy prevents non-essential police presence in schools. Why, then, did the @fordnation government recently order @OCDSB to allow uniformed police in schools? That’s a good question. 11/

A position from a premier who seemed not to acknowledge the impact of the convoy on Ottawa, who is offering free tuition to recruit more police (with less education). Unclear whether @fordnation recognizes the complexity of this issue, or analyses it from an equity lens. 12/

Some use the argument of “increased violence” in schools to justify assertions that we need more police. “Violence” is a misnomer. There is more dysregulation, students of all ages in need of the support of more educational assistants, social workers, psychologists, supports. 13/

Where there is criminal activity (sex trafficking, drugs, actual violence, hate crimes), police are still involved, always will be. It is convenient for people to argue that these crimes increased as a result of the removal of police resource officers, but there’s no data 14/

to demonstrate a correlation. However, there is ample data to demonstrate the harms of police in schools.

In summary: 1) removal of police was necessary; 2) building trust is necessary; 3) conversations about how to create safety for all are, thankfully, already in progress. 15/

I cannot speak for other trustees, nor do I speak for the @OCDSB, but I thank our predecessors for the work they did and, as promised to my constituents, I will continue to advocate for us to address all issues in education from an equity and social justice lens. (🧵Fin 16/16)