PUPILS at a Glasgow secondary school were slapped with £80 fines for dropping litter - to teach them a lesson.

 

Knightwood Secondary's campus cop Collete Farren brought in enforcement officers from Community Safety Glasgow (CSG) for three weeks to help students respect their surroundings.

It is just one of several projects put forward by the police constable in her first year at the school.

Colette will also help lead the school to become the first in Scotland to support the White Ribbon campaign, which encourages young men to sign a pledge condemning violence against women.

She said domestic abuse was a major priority for Police Scotland.

Grandmother-of-one Colette, 47, joined the school, which has more than 1300 pupils, in February last year.

She decided to make littering a priority after concerns from the community.

Colette said: "When I first got here I got a couple of calls from the community complaining about the school - about littering, anti social behaviour - and I really wanted to address that very quickly.

"The feedback I've had from local residents has been nothing but positive."

As part of the drive she launched a weekly clean-up - and brought enforcement officers in to show them the consequences.

During a three week period at the end of last year, five fixed penalty notices were handed out to students.

Colette said: "We had them (enforcers) out for three weeks and unfortunately some children did get fined. "It's an £80 fine. Some parents phoned saying they were unhappy so I organised an alternative for them."

The youngsters were able to do a three-hour organised litter pick-up as an alternative.

All 225 pupils in S3 will do a huge 'super spring clean-up; on April 1.

Local businesses, including McDonald's, are helping out.

Colette said: "I'm very passionate about this.

"Mounted branch is coming, extra officers will come, teachers, community safety enforcement officers - it will be hands on."

Colette has also been educating youngsters about drugs, gang violence, knife-carrying and other social issues.

She said: "I'm working with fourth years on drugs just now.

"And then there's the SQA2 course with sixth years for young drivers.

"I do a social education talk with my third years and that's on knives and gang fighting.

"In Knightswood we don't have a huge issue of that here. However, I still like to address it.

"We've also covered internet exploitation, sex exploitation and bogus callers."

As part of addressing crimes by bogus callers, pupils were taken out into Knightswood and Anniesland to speak to elderly residents.

Colette said: "We were out knocking on doors, speaking to the wee grannies and grandpas and explaining to them that their local secondary school has kids who care for them.

"The response we got was unbelievable."

The PC will be addressing test-purchasing in the near future.

Colette, whose dad is former footballer and member of Celtic' Lisbon Lions sqaud Jim Brogan, has always been passionate about working with children.

She was a nursery nurse for a decade before joining the police force in 2001.

Her former beat was the nearby Lincoln Avenue flats.

She said: "I wasn't sure what was expected of me when I started as a campus officer.

"I went in slightly blind - but the teachers have said I came in and hit the ground running.

"I just wanted to make as big an impact to the kids, the teachers the local community."

S2 pupil Scott Carrick, 13, who is helping with the clean-up events, said: "It's really made a difference having Colette.

Drumchapel/Anniesland councillor Jonathan Findlay said having a campus police officer has benefited the young pupils as well as the local area.

He added: "Colette Farren is an inspiration and has approached her role with infectious enthusiasm. She is leading a huge number of initiatives within the school - including staying safe online, wider awareness of domestic violence, road safety, general crime prevention, litter patrols, as well as being the public and accessible face of Police Scotland within the school."

Fariha Thomas, chair of Community Safety Glasgow, said: "Staff at Community Safety Glasgow have been fortunate to work with Colette throughout the year on various ventures.

"The litter initiative session she arranged in September last year was hosted by our Community Enforcement Officers and proved a very effective means of encouraging pupils to change any negative attitudes and behaviour they may have had towards littering.

"We also had the opportunity to work with Colette as a result of the White Ribbon 16 Days of Action campaign.

"Two Community Enforcement Officers, newly-trained as White Ribbon speakers, are currently working with Colette to prepare an awareness day about the issue of violence against women and to encourage men and boys to make a pledge never to commit, condone or stay silent about violence against women.

"As a result, Knightswood Secondary will be the first school in Glasgow to become involved in supporting the White Ribbon campaign."