Community Leaders Push Back on Bill 33, Warn Against Police Returning to Ontario Schools

At Queen’s Park, community leaders, students, and education advocates gathered to voice strong opposition to Bill 33—a proposed provincial law that would mandate School Resource Officer (SRO) programs in Ontario schools. Recently, Policing-Free Schools hosted a press conference on the South Lawn, warning that the legislation could override local school board decisions and reintroduce police into classrooms across the province. Before the press event, Regent Park TV’s Fred Alvarado interviewed Toronto Centre MPP Kristyn Wong-Tam, who has been outspoken against the bill. “Our schools need care, not criminalization,” Wong-Tam stressed. Toronto Police say they have no plans to revive the SRO program, which was ended in 2017 after students—particularly Black, Indigenous, and racialized youth—reported feeling unsafe and targeted. But with Bill 33 advancing, those protections could be rolled back. As the school year approaches, advocates are calling for investments in guidance counsellors, mental health supports, and culturally safe learning environments—resources they say address root causes of harm far more effectively than police presence. For communities like Regent Park and the Downtown East, where students already navigate systemic barriers, the stakes are high. Residents and education leaders agree: safety in schools comes from trust, equity, and proper funding—not surveillance.