FORMER education minister Dr Nyan Gadsby-Dolly has warned that deploying police officers to schools without strengthening student support services is a short-sighted response to growing concerns over school violence.

Speaking to media following a back-to-school drive hosted by Opposition Leader Penelope Beckles at the Arima Community Centre on September 4. Her comments came before government confirmed its planned deployment of police officers at 50 high-risk schools and patrols at 20 others for the upcoming school term at a media briefing later that day.

At the time, Gadsby-Dolly was responding to questions about an August 23 police statement that 95 specially trained special reserve police (SRP) officers would be assigned to high-risk schools at the start of the new academic term.