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Police to now have regular presence on ESHS campus- Education CEO
This initiative, effective from Monday, February 10, 2025, according to Acting Chief Education Officer Ms Orlandette R. Crabbe, is aimed at fostering discipline, security, and a positive relationship between law enforcement and students.
Meanwhile, RVIPF Inspector Kendolph Bobb pointed to a deeper societal issue, criticising the adult population at large for the deteriorating state of student behaviour in the Virgin Islands.
Both officials made these remarks during a special broadcast of Public Eye, alongside Minister for Education, Youth Affairs, and Sports, Honourable Sharie B. de Castro (AL), where they detailed the administration’s efforts to curb school misconduct.
Woke World
According to Mrs Crabbe, speaking to host Karia J. Christopher, shifting societal norms has worsened the worsening situation, as she observed how students often reflect the behaviour they observe at home and in popular culture, which frequently portrays law enforcement as the enemy.
"I just think that in this woke world, everybody thinks it's okay to say exactly what comes to your mind with no regard for authority or otherwise," Ms Crabbe said bluntly, adding “...and so our children, we model those behaviours for our children."
Providing an explanation for the presence of School Resource Officers on campuses, CEO Crabbe was quick to point out they are not solely for law enforcement but also for relationship-building and early intervention.
"The purpose of the school resource officer is to have a trained presence on the campuses to assist with these behaviours, but also, more importantly, to establish relationships with our young people.”
Detailing previous incidents in which students had become physically aggressive, posing a danger to teachers and staff, Mrs Crabbe said the police was called in. “For incidents of extreme behaviour, misbehaviour, we call the police. Because if you have a child running up, carrying on, threatening the teacher, the principal, everybody—I'm sorry, sir, you need to leave the campus.”
Lack of respect for Authority
Meanwhile, Inspector Bobb painted an even bleaker picture of student misconduct, particularly the lack of respect for authority figures, including teachers, security personnel at the compounds and even the police ranks.
"We've reached a stage of lack of respect for authority, those in authority. I have many complaints of students disrespecting teachers; The security guard at the school cannot speak to them, cannot take something from them which they know is illegal.”
He also criticised the reluctance of some parents to engage with school authorities, making it difficult to address behavioural issues at their root saying, "Sometimes I may call for a family meeting in relation to a child to see how we can work with them. Some of them are reluctant to even come to my office to sit down with us and see how we can help," he lamented.
Further compounding the issue, according to Inspector Bobb, is a culture in which children are emboldened by adults who undermine law enforcement efforts.
"They really speak to each other, to law enforcement, and they are sometimes empowered by their peers and by members of the public to say, you can't touch my child, the police shouldn't be talking to my child, and so forth.”
Defending the deployment of police in schools, Inspector Bobb was clear that the aim was not to enforce discipline through heavy-handed tactics telling the listening audience, "No, I'm not going to propose any violence; I don't want persons to feel that we're saying because there's issues with the police, we know.”
Intimidating Police Presence
Meanwhile, the Acting Chief Executive Officer used the opportunity to laud the RVIPF for the swift implementation of the initiative, highlighting the positive interactions already observed between students and officers.
"We see them around the campus every day this week, and you see them present there, up and down, patrolling, establishing relationships already. You see them having small talk with the young people.”
Conceding that, from an outsider’s perspective, a police presence on campus might appear intimidating, Ms Crabbe reiterated that the objective is to build trust rather than enforce fear.
"That is not the type of relationship we are fostering. However, when we are in this place, there will be instances where they will have to use their training to subdue and de-escalate and so on.”
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17 Responses to “Police to now have regular presence on ESHS campus- Education CEO”
Law a order must not be overlooked nowhere in this I-say-what-I want, I-do-what-feel-like-doing world, the B.V.I is no exception.
We need (SROs) at the College, too.
FYI in American and other places they have police on campus. This week i heard it had a situation with a student who was just simply asked to go to class. And he Feel the need to curse out the police them and want to fight them as well. This is the type of students teacher and younger students who trying learn in a safe atmosphere have to deal. And i was told this particular student have no respect for Security and Many teachers on campus. SO THE BIG QUESTION WHY IS HE STILL THERE. If He does not want the free education that is given to him and if he is over 18 which i am told he is over 18. Get him out of the system and let him go pay to get whatever education level of education he desire to get. Because all he is doing is setting a bad example for many students.