Skip to content

Police connecting with students

From talking with students about bullying and cyber-bullying, drug and alcohol abuse or domestic violence issues, to working on emergency preparedness plans, one Okotoks RCMP officer’s job in local schools keeps her on her toes. Const.
RCMP Const. Rita Gillis is a resource officer for the schools within the Okotoks RCMP detachment’ s coverage area.
RCMP Const. Rita Gillis is a resource officer for the schools within the Okotoks RCMP detachment’ s coverage area.

From talking with students about bullying and cyber-bullying, drug and alcohol abuse or domestic violence issues, to working on emergency preparedness plans, one Okotoks RCMP officer’s job in local schools keeps her on her toes.

Const. Rita Gillis is the Okotoks RCMP’s new school resource officer, working with 21 schools in the area on a regular basis.

“Generally I arrive at work and lots of times things just kind of pour in,” she said. “I might take phone calls from schools that might have questions about a matter that arises, or I might be giving presentations.”

The primary objectives of the part-time position are to educate students about how to identify and modify negative behaviour, to help students understand potential legal consequences of their actions, and to have a presence in and around the schools.

She said often young people aren’t aware the activity they’re engaging in, such as “sexting” or cyber-bullying may be illegal.

“Sometimes it might be something that’s not so morally savoury, and I can cover off what would make it illegal, if we cross this line, and sometimes that line isn’t always so clear,” said Gillis.

She spent two full days in early November giving presentations to students at St. John Paul II Collegiate on social media safety and the dangers or possible consequences of sexting, working alongside the school’s family school liaison, Leah Carter.

The pair visited every class of Grade 8 and 9 students in a two-day period to talk about the ramifications of online and texting behaviour. Carter said having an RCMP officer take part in the discussions makes a difference.

“I can give them the social and emotional side of it, and she can talk to the legal consequences of the choices we make, specifically with social media and sexting, which is a big issue this year that the kids are doing,” said Carter.

She said having the uniformed presence in the classroom drives the lesson home a little better for students.

“It packs a bit more power,” said Carter. “I can talk until I’m blue in the face, but once they hear the legal side and how it really impacts their life that can make a difference.”

Carter said when students are having issues, she has the option to call Gillis and have her sit down with the student and his or her parents to discuss the problem.

With 21 schools to look after, Gillis’ time is spread out around the Foothills, but Carter said the time she’s been able to give to St. JPII has been invaluable.

“She’s a great resource for the schools,” said Carter. “It’s nice to have her to call and say, ‘What should we do about this?’

“I feel like if we needed her she’d come.”

Gillis said her work doesn’t always come by way of formal presentations. Sometimes she meets with school officials or parents privately, and other days she might just show up during a lunch break or recess to talk to students and find out what’s going on in their social circles.

She said breaking down the barrier between young people and the police is important.

Her first visits to schools raises curiosity – everyone wants to know why the police are at the school, she said. After two days of presentations and some other files at ST. JPII, Gillis said the students there are becoming less inquisitive and more trusting and friendly. A lot of conversations at the school begin with her asking how they’re doing or how their weekends were, she said.

“They’re more likely to approach me and have a conversation with me now,” said Gillis. “They’re a little less leery of having a police officer there and they know just because I’m there doesn’t mean somebody’s in trouble. It’s nice that it’s coming to that point.”

The school resource officer position is a pilot-project funded by the provincial government as a part-time position with the Okotoks detachment.

Okotoks RCMP Staff Sgt. Jim Ross said the pilot program to have a school resource officer continues to be a success as it enters its third year.

Ross said the hours could be used anywhere, but he feels it’s important to have the connection to the school community.

“The student and staff population is nearing 10,000 people,” he said. “I think it’s extremely important that we have the ability to meet the students and staff when possible and make those important contacts with them.”

He said the program has also helped uncover illegal activity taking place on school campuses over the past three years, which could have gone unnoticed with the school resource officer in place.

There is no end-date for the pilot project, he said, as the position is dependent on provincial funding.

push icon
Be the first to read breaking stories. Enable push notifications on your device. Disable anytime.
No thanks