The II Commander of the Community Police (POLKOM) Unit, from the National Police of Timor-Leste (PNTL), Superintendent Helena das Dores said her unit established a special School Police Officers (SPO) Program prevent any conflict from emerging inside schools and to introduce important information to students.
According to the II Commander Das Dores, this initiative comes given recent reports from increase conflict inside schools and attacks on students and teachers.
“This is why we need the SPO’s, so that we can prevent students from engaging in violent behaviour and getting into trouble,” added II Commander Das Dores in Dili.
In addition to preventing conflict, the SPO’s will also raise the awareness of students on important issues such as human trafficking, traffic signs, pornography, prostitution and on the use of illegal drugs.
“It is important to share this types of information to teenage students so that they stay away from such self-destructive lifestyles,” she added.
Since 30 August 2015 that SPO’s have already been deployed to the Agusto Basic School and to the Secondary Schools of 28 de Novembro and FINANTIL, in the capital Dili, because these are the schools where trouble happens the most often.
“Since our SDP’s have been at these schools there are hardly any reports of conflict taking place at the schools,” said II Commander Das Dores.
Meanwhile, Member of Commission B (for security, defence and foreign affairs) Member of Parliament MP Duarte Nunes said the program is very useful and it will have significant positive results.
“If the SPO’s work efficiently there will be increased security and less conflict in our schools,” said MP Nunes.
The MP added the program needs to be extended to all schools if is going to be truly effective.
