We asked whether armed and uniformed police officers should be stationed in Toronto high schools. Here’s what you had to say:
There's no need for police officers, armed or otherwise, to be stationed in schools. All that's needed is for police officers who patrol the area where troubled schools are located to pop in on a regular basis.
William Bedford, Toronto
This is indeed a good idea. Police officers represent law, order, peace, justice and, of course, safety. How can any of these elements be a bad thing to teach young impressionable students?
Pavan Sapra, Mansfield
Yes, they should have both real guns, and Tasers. If they need to have them with them, then I guess it is because they will have use them. That's what I'd want for my kids in high school. Once Chief Blair's kid or Mr. Fantino's grandchild gets Tasered, they may change their mind.
Fred Ward, Fenelon Falls
What's next? Metal detectors? Drug-sniffing dogs? Is Toronto The Good turning into a suburb of Detroit or any other major U.S. city?
Dave Solomon, Etobicoke
Armed babysitters? Yeah, there's a good waste of my tax dollars. Why not put firefighters and doctors in high schools, too, while you're at it.
Chris Just, Toronto
If this is what it takes to get some order back in schools then so be it.
L. Roccasalvo, Toronto
Let’s hope the first arrest by police will be school principals who don’t report violence against vulnerable children.
G.R. Cooke, Norfolk, ON
Pretending police aren't actually police in schools seems contradictory to me.
Bill Pettersen, Brampton
Having police in the schools is a disgrace, armed is worse. What a way to motivate students to do the right thing. Terrify them! We should invest money in before/after school programs, mentors for kids, breakfast and lunch programs and interesting after-school activities. This will solve a great deal of the problems, and will be much less costly than paying overtime to police. A better use for armed police surveillance would be investigating the Catholic school board trustees.
Natalie LaRoche, Toronto
Place as many armed officers as necessary to protect our law-abiding teachers and students from unwarranted and vicious attacks.
Paul Mulhern, Toronto
Armed police in our high schools is not a solution but an admission of our failure to address developmental and emotional problems in our elementary schools. Had we put the money into early childhood and primary education, we wouldn't have a problem with violence and abuse in the later grades.
Gary Dale, Toronto
I think that it's about time. Our schools have become dangerous places instead of a place of learning.
Mike Lucci, Peterborough
I'm sure we all agree that the calming effect of a gun will indeed create the right learning environment for our children.
Rishi Agarwal, Toronto
"Those who would give up Essential Liberty to purchase a little Temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety." - Ben Franklin.
D. Nearing, Mississauga
This is a great band-aid solution, but would it not be better to eliminate the source and causes of the problem: social injustice against the poor, discrimination against minorities and lack of gun control?
Albert Willems, Tillsonburg
Yes, it's a great idea. Since children are committing horrible acts of violence in our schools, then policing them should start there, too.
Eleanor Pimentel, Toronto
Why would Toronto schools need guards with guns to protect them? David Miller is closing the 2 gun clubs in the city that he seems to believe are the root of all gun crime in Toronto, so schools will be completely safe now. David, please, whether you are pro-gun or anti-gun, just pick a story and stick to it.
Jennifer Stanley, Hamilton
Putting uniformed and armed police officers is not sending out the right message to students. Sure, violence might be reduced inside the schools, but now all that will just occur off school grounds, which I am sure isn't part of the plan.
Kelvin Hui, Toronto
There obviously exists a need for police presence, and of course they should present themselves in full uniform. I only wish that the public saw fit to station police in schools when my children attended. All sorts of illegal activities took place and (to my knowledge) nothing proactive was done about it.
Virginia Furlong, Pickering
If an officer is on the job, why would he/she NOT be in uniform, or armed? The fact that they are in schools should make absolutely no difference.
Dave So, Scarborough
This is the only way, since parents failed to raise their children properly.
Eva-Marie Heide, Mississauga
Sad that it has come to this.
June Warenycia, Scarborough
How are the police supposed to protect the students from some nutcase with a weapon if they are unarmed?
William Mellor, Durham
