For about two months, Thompson RCMP Const. Sandy Deibert has been getting to know the students of R.D. Parker Collegiate a little bit better through her new role as the school’s in-house liaison officer.
Every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, the19-year veteran of the RCMP sets up shop in the high school for a couple hours to catch up on administrative work, carry out patrols and be on hand if any minor incidents occur.
While this new position isn’t a lot different than her normal day-to-day routine, which involves monitoring the high school and three local elementary schools remotely, Deibert pitched this new idea to RDPC’s administration back in March, feeling that she could be better at her job by being more directly involved with the students.
“I really wasn’t there enough,” she said. “So this gives me an opportunity to just be there for four hours in the afternoon, help out at lunch hour with the kids, whatever is going on, and just be a presence in the school.”
So far, RDPC principal Rob Fisher said that Deibert’s hands-on approach has been positively received by teachers and parents alike, especially since it’s been around eight years since the school has had an in-house liaison officer.
“It’s well appreciated,” said Fisher. “She’s helpful, she walks the halls, talks with the kids … so she gets to build relationships with the kids when things are positive, and that’s the whole point of it, too.”
Even though there has been some national debate about the merits of placing uniformed police officers in public schools, Deibert said she hasn’t received any complaints about students feeling uncomfortable or intimidated by her presence.
“The police aren’t just there for when something bad happens,” she said. “We are there to make kids feel safe and whatever we can do to help facilitate that, in a proactive way, is positive.”
While she’s already had to break up a few fights and wrangle some truant students, Deibert said her main goal with this new position at RDPC has always been to help maintain a productive learning environment.
“I think it goes a long way to show that police officers are human beings and we do care about you,” she said. “We’re there to just be part of the community and to help keep Thompson safe.”
