Activist group says ‘no’ to police in schools at London, Ont. rally

A rally was held outside of Thames Valley District School Board to protest police in schools. CTV London’s Bryan Bicknell has more.

It’s a plan that continues to be controversial in school communities across Ontario.

On Friday, a group opposing a plan to return police officers to schools brought its campaign to London.

“It is fundamentally a ‘no.’ A ‘no’ to all forms of policing in school programs,” said Andrea Vásquez Jiménez to a small group gathered outside the Thames Valley District School Board (TVDSB) administration office on Dundas Street.

Vásquez Jiménez is the director of the group Policing-Free Schools.

It was protesting the provincial government’s proposed Bill 33. If passed, the legislation would give the province more oversight of school boards, including a mandate to put police back in schools.

“The government knows that they cannot police their way into school safety, student safety, or student academic achievement,” said Vásquez Jiménez.

Speakers at the rally included a current Thames Valley District School Board trustee, along with a student trustee.

They claim students and parents do not feel comfortable with police in schools.

“There’s a feeling of surveillance. Police symbolize surveillance for students. And what we just need are resources and supports, not police,” said Anushka Bist, a TVDSB student trustee.

Both the TVDSB and the London District Catholic School Board suspended their school resource officer (SRO) programs in 2021. The Catholic board has since voted to bring back a revamped version, while the public board voted against a return of officers in schools.

“The presence of SROs is triggering or retraumatizing to some students and makes it difficult for them to be at school. That’s what our review showed,” said TVDSB trustee, Dr. Marianne Larsen in her address to the group.

In response to the rally, the Thames Valley District School Board issued the following statement:

“Any decision to reimplement this program is at the discretion of the Ministry of Education. Currently, the Supporting Children and Students Act, 2025, is still before the legislature.”

In the meantime, the London Police Association says it fully supports the school resource officer program. LPA President Gareth Harris says its goal is to build positive relationships.

“Well, I think sometimes the first contact youth may have with a police officer is in a negative connotation. You’re dealing with police in a moment of crisis. Where, if we can be in the schools and build those relationships and that trust, I think it’s a positive experience versus a negative experience,” said Harris.

Friday’s rally was the last of 10 rallies held by Policing-Free Schools in centres across the province. The group plans to take its message straight to the Doug Ford government, with a major rally planned for Queens Park on Monday.