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Re: "Armed police officers coming to a high school near you", Editorial, Sept.11

It frightens me that it is now necessary for armed police officers to patrol the hallways of Etobicoke educational institutions the same way they would patrol a federal prison.

Delinquent teenagers already resent police officers. A police presence will spark greater resentment towards authority and incite further rebellion against officers rather than foster trust. What happens if an officer is taken down and his gun is removed from his belt?

Having an armed police officer roaming a school hallway is threatening. It sends a message to non-disruptive teens that they should be afraid of their peers who could be dangerous enough to warrant an officer with a loaded gun on the premises.

It is ludicrous to have gun-toting police officers in schools where guns are a concern.

Furthermore, stationing officers at only some schools in a neighborhood will have a stigmatizing effect. The schools with officers will be considered "bad" or "unsafe" while the schools without officers will be deemed "better" or "safer." It seems that the authoritative powers of teachers and principals have become entirely ineffective.

More thought needs to be given to why exactly teachers have lost their authority and why students are choosing to get involved with drugs and violence at school instead of focusing on their education. Teachers and principals need to learn how to communicate with their students and gain their trust.

They must learn to better relate to the many frustrations and obstacles facing teens that are tempted to engage in harmful or illegal activities while at school.

Typically these teens have behavioral or psychological problems that require treatment. I never felt unsafe until I read that so many schools are welcoming armed officers into their hallways. Students should not be made to feel like criminals in an institution that is supposed to foster their development as upstanding citizens.

Kristina Loschiavo