On May 7, after a year of teamwork and partnership by Renfrew County's four police detachments and the four school boards operating in the County, a renewed Local Police and School Board Protocol has been officially endorsed and signed.
A committee was struck in March 2023 and began renewing the Ministry of Education-mandated document. The Local Police & School Board working group has committed to an evergreen process that facilitates ongoing dialogue that proactively addresses shared responsibilities. As personnel shifts over time, the working group will be a conduit to maintaining connections.
The committee met frequently over the past year and commits to meeting biannually, at a minimum, going forward.
The four police detachments include Killaloe OPP, represented by Interim Detachment Commander, Staff Sergeant MaryAnn MacNeil, Renfrew OPP, represented by Detachment Commander, Inspector Dawn Ferguson, Upper Ottawa Valley OPP represented by Detachment Commander, Inspector Steph Neufeld, and Deep River Police Service represented by Chief Dean Duchrow. Police representatives worked collaboratively with Safe Schools partners and Communications professionals from the four area school boards.
The protocol was signed by the Directors of Education for the four school boards in Renfrew County: Renfrew County District School Board (RCDSB), Renfrew County Catholic District School Board (RCCDSB), Conseil des écoles catholiques du Centre-Est (CECCE), and Conseil des écoles publiques de l'Est de l'Ontario (CEPEO). The representatives on the joint committee representing each board included the Superintendents for Safe Schools and the staff communications lead.