Vancouver School Board to review police liaison program in schools
Posted March 8, 2021 12:44 pm.
Last Updated March 8, 2021 1:59 pm.
VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – The debate over having police officers in Vancouver schools is being renewed again Monday night.
The Vancouver School Board (VSB) meeting will look into the idea of quashing the School Liason Officer (SLO) program that was put under review last year, in the wake of George Floyd’s death.
VSB trustee with OneCity Jennifer Reddy says there are a number of concerns that students have with the SLO program.
RELATED: Black student says Burnaby schools ‘tone deaf’ on race, calls for police liaisons to be removed
“I think that there’s definitely ongoing issues of concerns between police and racialized folks, but not only racialized folks – folks who are trans, non-binary, LGBTQ2S – and I think we have many pieces of data that speak to some of the concerns in this relationship between folks and policing, ” she tells NEWS 1130.
“These calls are not new. Certainly, they were heard loudly last year especially with the Black Lives Matter movement. But certainly, they have been ongoing for a long time.”
An independent review conducted by an outside firm, Argyle Communications Inc., found there is a general “lack of understanding” of what the liaison program is, and how it serves the students.
“While overall impressions trended toward neutral feelings about the program because of this lack of understanding, several participants spoke either strongly in favour or strongly against having a police officer in schools,” the review continues.
The review was made public last week.
Reddy says she looks forward to hearing from the public.
“Anytime folks, especially young people, bring up concerns about their safety in schools, that for sure gives me pause around what’s going on. I want to know as much as possible,” she says.
The Vancouver Police Department says it respects the VSB’s decision to review the program but maintains it remains an effective resource for both students and schools.
“We stand by the program as being incredibly valuable for the community,” says Sgt. Steve Addison. “Our officers play an active role in schools, whether they be elementary schools or secondary schools. Our school liaison officers are in public schools and private schools. Their primary role is to build relationships and build trust within the school community.”
The board will be hearing from the public Monday and Tuesday night, then the final decision will be determined in April.
