Toronto school board puts police patrol program on temporary hold

The program saw police officers deployed in 36 of the 75 schools run by the Toronto District School Board. (Photo: Toronto District School Board)

TORONTO — Trustees at Canada’s largest school board voted Wednesday night to temporarily shelve a controversial school resource officer program.

The program saw police officers deployed in 36 of the 75 schools run by the Toronto District School Board.

It was put in place in 2008 after 15-year-old Jordan Manners was shot and killed at C. W. Jefferys Collegiate Institute the previous year.

Trustees voted to temporarily suspend the program for the start of the school year and put off a permanent decision until more data is collected and a report is prepared.

The decision comes almost a week after activists and members of the public disrupted a board meeting, arguing that armed officers in schools intimidate students.

Toronto’s police services board earlier approved a review of the controversial program with an assessment to be carried out by researchers at Toronto’s Ryerson University.