OCHO RIOS, St Ann – A new programme aimed at helping schools cope with violence, anti-social behaviour, truancy and children at risk is to be piloted in some of the island’s schools during the new academic year. The schools that will take part in the pilot programme are to be named by the end of this week.

The programme was developed by the Jamaica Constabulary Force’s Corporate Strategy Unit, which collaborated with stakeholders in the educational system. According to Assistant Commissioner of Police in charge of Area Two Dorrett Latchman, police officers hope the partnership will translate into a disciplined and safe school environment.

“The number of reported incidents of school violence has created widespread problems and frustration in some of our most prominent secondary schools and has prompted both the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of National Security to develop a new and innovative solution to curb this most undesirable trend,” ACP Latchman said, while addressing last Friday’s police school summer programme closing ceremony in Ocho Rios.

The objectives of the programme, which will be piloted under the theme “Making Your Learning Environment Safer”, are:

. to reduce violence and anti-social behaviour in schools;

. to significantly reduce instances of students being in possession of weapons in schools;

. to reduce and prevent the offending, re-offending and re-victimisation of students;

. to identify and monitor areas on the school compound where students are most prone to undesirable activities;

. to work with external and internal stakeholders within the school community;

. to make the learning environment safe; and

. to reduce disruption of normal school activities by truants and outsiders.

As part of the programme, the new post of School Resource Officer (SRO) has been developed by the JCF. The SRO will work alongside the Parent Teachers Association (PTA) and school staff to facilitate and coordinate the necessary skills culled from the wider community, and will help with mentoring, counselling, mediation and problem-solving, ACP Latchman explained.

The SRO’s duties will also include:

. giving full support and assistance to the school administration;

. working with other stakeholders in coordinating activities in the school to reduce violence and anti-social behaviour;

. keeping the police department informed of all activities and developments that threaten the security of students, teachers and the school community;

. maintaining and keeping proper records of all incidents coming to his/her notice, and all programmes implemented in the school. This should include all private sessions held with students. The SRO will also be responsible for:

. identifying places on the school compound where students are prone to undesirable activities, and which may benefit from increased adult presence, electronic surveillance, environmental changes or other preventative measures;

. profiling places/spots where incidents occur;

. preparing effective visual aids and hand-outs depicting the school safety initiatives before meeting with stake holders;

. investigating incidents when required to do so;

. giving evidence in criminal court and the school disciplinary board when necessary;

. discussing data confidentiality and privacy issues with the school administrators and legal council;

. developing crime and violence anti-social behaviour prevention strategies;

. conducting mediation and dispute resolution in association with other stake holders; as well as

. delivering lectures in various disciplines aimed at building capacity in the schools to deal with crime, violence and anti-social behaviour.

Violence in schools has reached alarming proportions and has, in the past, prompted calls from several sectors for the problem to be addressed.

In May, Education Minister Maxine Henry-Wilson reiterated the urgent need for the establishment of truancy camps, which was part of a long list of recommendations she proffered to help curb violence in schools.

Up to that point, at least three students had been killed in school-related violence since the start of the year.

Just days before the minister’s call, a 17 year-old boy from the Happy Grove High School was stabbed to death by a fellow student, while a 15 year-old student of Islington High School in St Mary was taken into police custody following the stabbing death of an 18 year-old resident of Friendship district in the parish.

On April 30, a 15 year-old Bridgeport High School student was fatally stabbed by another teen.

“It is critical that we expedite the implementation of recommendations, which were submitted regarding truancy camps and to harness all the available programmes that can help to stem the tide of violence in schools,” the minister said then.

In October 2002, the government had opened the first truancy camp in Duncans, Trelawny at a cost of some $6 million.

The facility catered to more than 100 boys who were high school dropouts or absentees, while some had pending cases in the juvenile court.

The boys were enrolled in programmes that exposed them to aspects of the arts and addressed their behavioural problems.