Youth violence increasing: Brantford police

Brantford police have sounded an alarm over an increase in serious youth violence.

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“From the start of this school year (September 2023), we have noted an increase in violent crimes involving youth such as assaults and incidents involving threat of violence,” Robin Matthews-Osmond, the corporate communications manager for the Brantford Police Service, said . “Unfortunately, due to the nature of the calls, statistics are not readily available.”

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But Matthews-Osmond said that on September 21 officers responded to a serious assault where two youths were injured, and four youths were arrested and charged as a result of a stabbing. Various other physical altercations or threats of violence among youth have been reported in recent weeks.

“We want to reassure the community that these incidents are being addressed and proactive measures are being implemented to ensure the safety and well-being of our community’s youth,” Matthews-Osmond said. “As announced previously by the Grand Erie District School Board, the PROSE (Police Resource Outreach Supporting Education) program, which will be replacing the former School Resource Officer (SRO) program will be immensely valuable in this regard.”

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Police are reminding parents to monitor the social activity of their children.

“Often youth are hesitant to come forward and could downplay an incident as they may fear retaliation from bullies,” Matthews-Osmond said.

Mark Baxter, president of the Police Association of Ontario, said school resource officers play a critical role in addressing youth violence.

“As we continue to see a rise in violence in our communities across the province, particularly among our youth, school resource officers play a critical role in ensuring the safety of students and staff,” Baxter said. “School resource officers are on the front lines, often resolving conflict before it turns to violence.”

Superintendent Kevin Greco of the Brant Haldimand Norfolk Catholic District School Board said schools work together with local law enforcement partners, to ensure all students and staff are safe and feel welcome.

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“We take any incidents of violence and bullying seriously, and we work proactively with all community partners to implement violence reduction strategies in schools,” Greco said.

The Grand Erie board works with local police services supporting and developing programs like PROSE and sharing information as needed to support safety in schools and the community, Dave Smouter, the board’s manager, communications and community relations, said.

“We take issues of bullying and discrimination very seriously, and our mission to build a culture of learning, well-being and belonging in our school district remains the focus of our work.”

A review of the former school resource officer program found most students believe a school resource officer would contribute to school safety.

In April 2023 police charged a 15-year-old with assault with a weapon and possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose in connection with an incident at Pauline Johnson Collegiate. A month earlier, a 16-year-old was charged with uttering threats to cause death or bodily harm following a March incident at North Park Collegiate. No weapon was found in connection with the incident.

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