The Tribune

By KEILE CAMPBELL


Tribune Staff Reporter


kcampbell@tribunemedia.net

POLICE will target parents who create disturbances involving teachers and administrators on school campuses and monitor barber shops for students during school hours as part of a back-to-school enforcement push that will also warn children about marijuana edibles packaged to resemble popular products.

Assistant Commissioner of Police Dr Chaswell Hanna, who has responsibility for School Based Policing and Training, said parents had been taken before the courts during the previous academic year over incidents at schools.

“We want to let parents know right off the bat we’re not going to tolerate that,” ACP Hanna said.

He urged parents who have disagreements with teachers or administrators to address them peacefully and respectfully.

Police will also monitor barber shops for students during school hours, with owners and operators to be put on notice that officers will be looking for students on their premises between 9am and 3pm.

“We want our students to go to school on time,” ACP Hanna said. “They should not be in a barber shop. They should be in school.”

He did not say whether barber shop operators could face penalties or how police would determine whether a student had a legitimate reason for being absent from school.

The measures come as school resource officers undergo additional training ahead of the reopening of schools next week.

ACP Hanna said every public junior and senior high school in New Providence and the Family Islands would have a school resource officer.

“One officer per school, in line with global standards,” he said.

The officers will be supported by school security officers and crossing guards.

Police are also stepping up efforts to warn students about marijuana edibles after the Drug Enforcement Unit recently seized several products packaged to resemble brands commonly bought by children.

“The packaging looks similar to our popular brands that children would normally purchase,” ACP Hanna said.

He said the Royal Bahamas Police Force and the Ministry of Education had produced public service announcements to warn students about the products.

ACP Hanna claimed school violence had fallen 48 percent since the school resource officer programme was reinstated.

He said Commissioner of Police Shanta Knowles was expected to release statistics supporting that figure soon.