School Response Unit

When it comes to serving and protecting the youth of Belleville, the police service assists to keep a safe environment at schools around the city. Constables  work with school staff to guide  students at risk to the services and resources they may need.

Cst. Paul Fyke of the Community Resources Office works with  secondary students across the city to keep the lines of communication open and to uphold the safety of everyone.

"In that time of need, I know what the capabilities are from the community. We’re a very tight-knit community” says Cst. Fyke.

Cst. Fyke has been the officer overseeing secondary schools since September 2018, he comes with nine years of experience working with youth to go along with his nine years as an officer.

Part of what helps the police better serve the community is for students to speak up if they feel their safety or their school’s safety is at risk. We rely on students to be safe for themselves, so if they see or notice something, speak up.

This includes online issues as well, such as bullying, harassment, and threats. There are resources available to help prevent cyberbullying but we need our youth to be willing to provide information to a person they trust. Too many people ignore the warning signs and then it is too late.  Something as simple as informing someone close about a concern goes a long way towards preventing a tragedy.

The Intersections Program is a community resource the service makes referrals to for youth who are engaging in behaviours not necessarily criminal.  It gets them the help they need to bring about a positive impact in their life.

“When you are a student that doesn’t have any strategies or coping abilities or something to get by, it’s easy to resort to something else that might fill that void. Our job is to make sure they know that there are services that can help fill that void in a positive and productive way” says Cst. Fyke.

If you or someone you know are or may be at risk, don’t hesitate to get in contact with Cst. Fyke, he and  other members at the Belleville Police Service are always there to help.