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School gate officer is doing a fantastic job
• I NOTICED a letter from a parent of a child attending William Ellis School (School cop stood by, September 21).
The parent voiced their discontent regarding the competence of the school’s police officer in dealing with the pupils around the school gates.
As a member of the school community, I have come into contact with the officer on numerous occasions.
Contrary to the impression given by the letter, he is doing an impeccable job.
Certainly it is a difficult one, because he must find the right balance between an authoritative presence, and someone in whom the pupils can confide and get along with.
Were the latter not the case, he would have little use at the school for he needs to be on good terms with both those that he protects within the school and those that may seek to cause trouble.
It is for this reason that, as the anonymous parent observed, he ‘mingled’ with the crowd at the school gate.
The sixth-form pupils have been banned from the school playground. For this reason in the lunch hour, they socialise on the school driveway, and when it is crowded, sometimes block the path in front of the school.
I admit this can be intimidating and inconvenient at times, but a better way to deal with this, the parent being themselves acquainted with the school staff, would have been to speak to the school, raise the problem and see if anything could be done to improve the situation, or even speak to the officer at the gate.
The letter was a personal attack on the police constable, which I would say was very unfair.
MR S MACDOUGLAS
Address Supplied
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