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If your son or daughter attends an Etobicoke high school, they may have a new colleague in the halls this week: a uniformed and armed Toronto police officer.

Six Etobicoke schools are hosting school resource officers as part of a new school safety initiative led by Toronto Police Services in partnership with both the public and separate school boards. And while there was much concern initially that students would be intimidated by the police presence, program leaders should be applauded for pushing for what will, no doubt, be positive and much-needed face time with students.

Officers will have space at Etobicoke C.I., North Albion C.I., Silverthorn C.I., Thistletown C.I., Don Bosco C.S.S. and Michael Power/St. Joseph C.S.S., where they will participate in school councils and work with students on developing programs that will help reduce victimization and improve reporting and preventing crime. They will also train to learn about secondary school culture, diversion options, intervention strategies and safe schools programs.

With bullying, youth crime, violence and the existence of gangs in Toronto's school communities, having an accessible, approachable police contact may go a long way in helping to tackle these issues.

The overall goal, according to Toronto police Chief William Blair, is to make schools safe.

"We recognize this can only be accomplished if we develop and maintain a respectful and trusting relationship with all our partners," he said last week.

Some have said bringing police officers into schools could create an oppressive and threatening environment for students, but this initiative promises to have the opposite effect. Rather than serving as glorified security guards, the officers will interact with students, talk to them about classes, extra-curricular activities and, most importantly, lend an ear if someone is in trouble. For some students, this may be the first opportunity they've had to connect with a police officer on a one-on-one basis in a positive environment.

"It's an opportunity for students to get to know the police officers in a non-confrontational setting," said Toronto District School Board Chair John Campbell (Ward 2, Etobicoke Centre).

"It's about building a level of confidence and trust between the police officers and students and vice-versa."