Edmonton Police Service School Resource Officers start school year with partnership with Alberta Council of Women’s Shelters

The Edmonton Police Service School Resource Officers (SROs) are starting the new school year and are “Leading Change” in a partnership with the Alberta Council of Women’s Shelters (ACWS).

The three-day “Leading Change” training encourages leaders to take action to end gender-based violence and abuse which supports the Edmonton Police Service’s commitment to reduce and prevent revictimization in intimate partner relationships.

“This initiative is for high school aged students who are beginning to date and/or start intimate partner relationships or may be exposed to violence in the home,” says Sgt. Ray Wood with the School Resource Officer Unit with the Edmonton Police Service. “This is a great leadership opportunity to educate our youth, to prevent violence, and model the building of respectful and safe relationships.”

There are 19 SROs with the Edmonton Police Service who work with 21 high schools.

Edmonton will be the first police agency in Canada to receive training on the Leading Change curriculum.

Dating violence is highest in the 15 to 24 age category. Statistics Canada, Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics 2010.

The EPS responds to approximately 8,000 domestic violence calls per year.