Additional security will soon be roaming the halls at Steinbach Regional Secondary School. The Hanover School Division recently approved the hiring of a security officer on a budget of under $10,000. This budget allowance is set to cover the remainder of the 2015-2016 school year.

Campus Administrator Luis Reis says with almost 1,800 students and about 200 staff members they are always thinking about safety adding this year felt like the right time to re-evaluate and reflect on what the needs of the school were in terms of safety.

"We're looking [to have a security officer during] the lunch hours, so two or three hours during the daytime and then from about 5 to 10 in the evening," explains Reis. "During [lunch time], our busiest time, when the kids are moving around, we would have someone in our atrium, in the Grade 9/10 wing. Then from 5 to 10 in the evening, throughout the school, we would have someone basically keeping an eye on all the entrances, exits and walking the halls."

Reis notes the security officer would be stationed in front of the Grade 9/10 north entrance, off McKenzie Avenue, which would also serve as a way of welcoming visitors and directing them where they need to be. In the evenings Reis says there are often practices, sports games, events and janitorial staff working. The security officer would be able to help keep the building safe and secure, make sure there weren't people in the building who shouldn't be and help prevent vandalism.

The security officer would be in uniform and Reis notes they are currently working on finding the right firm to fit their needs of a security officer and hopes to see someone in the school by the end of the school year.

SRSS currently has Safety Liaison Officers, camera surveillance and student identification cards, which started in January, for student and staff safety. The security officer would be an additional measure of school safety.

"The people we currently have are Safety Liaison Officers," notes Reis. "Their role is predominantly to help the students get to class, keep an eye on them and make sure they're safe when outside. We have a lot of communication and contact with them (Safety Liaison Officers) via our walkie-talkies and they help us to make sure kids are attending class and are where they should be. Those are more of a relationship based situation. The security officer would be a little more formal and the level of security would be just a notch higher."

In Manitoba, mainly in Winnipeg, there are schools who currently have security officers, RCMP or Winnipeg Police members on-site to help with safety and security for staff and students.

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