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Seeking proposals to evaluate school resource officer program

Mon, 14 Dec, 2020

Our Division has issued a request for proposals from organizations that are qualified to research and evaluate our School Resource Officer (SRO) program.

The SRO program is a community-based initiative and a collaborative partnership between the Edmonton Police Service and Edmonton Public Schools. The program has been suspended in our Division for the 2020-21 school year.

The Edmonton Police Service and the Division have agreed that the Youth Enhanced Deployment model will be in place for this school year. Under this model, no police officers are based in Edmonton Public Schools. Officers trained to respond with youth are assigned over two geographic areas—north and south. They respond to school calls and also have community policing duties.

TRUSTEES APPROVE INDEPENDENT REVIEW 

At their June 23, 2020, Board meeting, Trustees passed a motion to conduct an independent review of the SRO program.

That the Board of Trustees request an independent review of the school resource officer program to be conducted by a university researcher, including a literature review, environmental scan, qualitative analysis of student and family experiences of SROs and policing, focusing on the experiences of Black, Brown and Indigenous students and students with disabilities as well as other students from marginalized communities in Edmonton Public Schools.

That an investigation be conducted into the placement of officers with disciplinary histories involving violent incidents into the SRO program, including examining disciplinary actions taken both prior to and during officers’ placement in the program.

SUBMISSION DETAILS

On December 9, 2020, our Division issued a request for proposals (RFP) to conduct evaluative research and provide reporting about the SRO program. 

View the Division’s RFP for School Resource Officer (SRO) Program Research on the Alberta government’s Alberta Purchasing Connection website. Alberta’s RFP process gives organizations an opportunity to bid on public contracts through a transparent tendering system. 

Proposals are due by January 18, 2021.

NEXT STEPS 

The study will focus on the Edmonton Public Schools program. A timeline to complete the study has not been determined, but the final report will be released publicly.

This review is an important first step to help build a shared understanding of the SRO program for students, families, staff and the communities we serve.