By AVA TURNQUEST

Tribune Chief Reporter

aturnquest@tribunemedia.net

NATIONAL Security minister Marvin Dames yesterday said the public can expect to see police stationed at schools and an increased police presence in and around school zones.

This comes as public schools prepare to open next week.

He told The Tribune there was no defined period for this initiative but that it would be an ongoing effort. He could not confirm the number of officers attached to this programme.

“We hope to enhance the initiatives that were in place,” Mr Dames told reporters outside of Cabinet.

“We’ll do that through increased visibility, more use of resources, greater presence within the school zones from officers on foot patrols to traffic officers.

“As you would know, we have acquired recently - the police force that is - some state-of-the-art speed guns… We intend to increase our CCTV visibility in these communities and we hope to capture these schools as well within those zones.

“You will see a greater presence, no doubt, of police officers and through our National Neighbourhood Watch Council, which is a community based programme through the neighbourhood watch crime groups.

“We hope to focus on schools and to focus on parks and other areas where our young kids assemble,” Mr Dames said.

“We are beginning now to hone in and fine-tune a lot of the initiatives that we would have introduced and that would have been in existence that were reaping some results.”

Last term, police were stationed at most government high schools in the capital, according to Assistant Commissioner of Police Stephen Dean.

The school-based policing was first introduced in 2002, and re-implemented in 2012 by the former Progressive Liberal Party administration.

When implemented in 2012, it was explained an inspector will have direct responsibility for the assignment of officers within each division.

The school-based police officer would have a reporting relationship with the inspector of his division and the principal of the relevant school.

Mr Dames confirmed divisional commanders have been tasked with ensuring officers are assigned to cover the schools in their respective areas - in addition to patrols.

Outside Cabinet yesterday, Mr Dames also commented on the school shootings that have occurred at an alarming rate in the United States and subsequent policy changes in certain states that allow teachers to carry firearms.

The Federal Gun-Free School Zones Act allows states to authorise certain individuals to carry firearms on school grounds. According to reports, the states of Texas, Utah, Wyoming, and South Dakota allow staff members to carry guns on school grounds, with restrictions.

“If you see what’s taking place in US, I pray and hope it will never get that way here. Just recently in some schools within the US teachers now are being allowed to carry firearms, which is a concern for many parents who are afraid it may escalate into something worse,” Mr Dames said.

“We hope not to get to that point, we have to be very proactive. We have to work from within, meaning the school is just a microcosm or reflection of the entire community. It means now we must all step up, that is parents, guardians, community members.”