Above: Constable Tanner Wills, Morinville Community High School and Sturgeon Composite High School’s School Resource Officer (SRO) speaks with MCHS Acting Principal Corinna Cormier. – Stephen Dafoe Photo
By Stephen Dafoe
With a focus on building trust, RCMP Constable Tanner Wills has stepped into his new role as School Resource Officer (SRO), determined to make a positive impact on students’ lives at Morinville Community High School (MCHS) and Sturgeon Composite High School.
With 16 and a half years of RCMP service, Wills splits his week between the schools, spending two days at MCHS, two days at Sturgeon Composite, and one day on general policing duties. Other members of the Morinville RCMP Detachment fill the SRO role in the schools in the surrounding area.
Wills explained that the SRO goes beyond law enforcement and is about being a supportive presence for students and staff, prioritizing being approachable and listening more than talking.
“It’s important to show them that police officers are human,” he said, explaining that while enforcement can seem negative, it’s a small part of his job. His main priority is keeping students safe.
Connecting with Students
Wills avoids spending time behind a desk to ensure he’s visible and approachable. He can often be found walking the hallways or visiting the cafeteria, interacting with students. “If I’m in my office, there should be a student here with me,” he noted. “I’m here to engage with the youth. I’m not here to check emails.”
Staff Sergeant Darcy McGunigal, head of the Morinville RCMP Detachment, believes Wills is an excellent fit for the SRO role.
“He’s got leadership qualities, which is clear, and he’s proactive,” McGunigal said. “He approaches these kids. He doesn’t sit here and wait for the problem to come to him. He goes into the crowd. He’s part of the school. That’s exactly what we want to see.”
Wills shares McGunigal’s belief in being where the students are. “If I’m with a group of kids, I look for the one who’s off on their own,” he said, adding he isn’t there to hang with the cool kids but to be there for all students, especially the ones who might feel invisible.”
Combatting Digital-Age Isolation
As he makes his rounds at the two schools, Wills notices one growing concern—students’ increasing disconnection due to technology, offering the constable the opportunity to bridge that gap by engaging students in personal interactions.
“You see kids with their heads down, feeling like nobody sees them,” he said, adding even a short conversation can make a difference. He makes it a point to ask them how they’re doing and then listen.
This isolation has become even more pronounced because the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted traditional social interactions. Staff Sergeant McGunigal noted that many students are still coping with the effects of the isolation experienced during at-home learning.
“Now more than ever, I think it’s important for us to deliver on our mandate in the schools with our youth plan,” he said. “With that in mind, we’ve really made this a priority at our Detachment this year to make sure that we’re hitting all of our targets with MCHS and with Sturgeon Composite.”
This commitment to student well-being is why Wills was hand-picked for the critical role as SRO, where he actively addresses challenges within the school community.
Addressing Bullying and Promoting Diversity
As a School Resource Officer, Wills takes a proactive approach to tackling bullying and promoting inclusivity. He believes in addressing inappropriate comments immediately, emphasizing that one never knows what someone else is going through. “You don’t know what impact that’ll have,” he explains.
Wills often sees a positive shift in behaviour when he points out inappropriate comments, noting, “You can see the light come on, and they get it.”
While he hasn’t witnessed physical fights, he acknowledges typical rowdiness, particularly among high school boys. “If I see them getting too rowdy, I charge over and use my police voice,” he says, noting he then takes it down a tone, encouraging them to channel that energy into something productive, like joining a sports team.”
This firm but explanatory approach with inappropriate comments and rough play has led to positive interactions afterward, with students greeting him with fist bumps and high fives. His introduction at a recent school assembly resulted in the loudest cheers.
Beyond encouraging a welcoming atmosphere, Wills is also committed to building relationships with students of colour, understanding that MCHS and Sturgeon Composite have less diversity than schools in larger centers.
He engages in conversations during lunch, showing genuine interest in the students’ backgrounds. “I find it genuinely interesting,” he notes, adding that it helps create a supportive environment. If students see him being positive towards a person of colour, he believes they’ll understand that’s the example to follow.
Staff Sergeant Darcy McGunigal supports this approach, emphasizing the importance of communication in resolving conflicts.
“In most cases, the lowest level of intervention is preferred. If we can resolve a situation like that through talking in the school, talking with one of the educators, the administrators at school, parents—obviously. That’s preferred,” he said. “If we enter into a realm where perhaps that’s not appropriate anymore, we do have some options. We’re afforded a fair bit of flexibility and discretion under the Youth Criminal Justice Act.”
Both Wills and McGunigal believe that cultivating a positive school culture is vital for the students’ well-being, ensuring they have the support they need to thrive.
A Challenging but Rewarding Role
While building student connections is rewarding, Wills acknowledges the weight of responsibility that comes with it.
“You feel the pressure being the one, potentially the one exposure, these kids have to police in their entire life. They’re going to remember what I was like,” he said, noting while they may not remember what he said, they will remember how he made them feel. “If they leave school with a negative opinion of the RCMP, I don’t want it to be because of something I did.”
Wills said he enjoys interacting with youth in a positive environment, where his presence isn’t tied to a traumatic event like a car accident but rather to their everyday high school experiences.
“[They] just look at the world differently, he said. “You can see the optimism in their eyes. You can see they’re excited about life.”