Vancouver School Board votes to end liaison officer program

VANOCUVER (NEWS 1130) — When Vancouver students come back to school after their summer holidays, there will no longer be police officers stationed in schools.

The Vancouver School Board voted Monday to halt the School Liaison Officer program at the end of the school year in June. The program was put under review last year, in the wake of the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Trustees in favour of eliminating the program said the presence of police in schools has a negative impact on BIPOC and other marginalized students, who are more likely to see armed officers as a threat than a source of protection or support.

Lois Chan-Pedley explained that the program can’t be separated from the broader context of policing, and systemic racism

“I was asked today, ‘Why burn it to the ground? Is there anything we can save from the program?'” she said.

“Perhaps, there may be a future where police and policing can look different from what they do today. But we have to back up and renegotiate the entire relationship. Crucially, I really believe we have to suspend the program or discontinue the program in order to have this conversation. We can’t do this on the backs of Black and Indigenous students.”

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Before the meeting she told NEWS 1130 what she heard from students and families during consultation on the future of the program.

“There are clearly negative effects of having police in schools, in particular, Black and Indigenous students don’t feel safe when uniformed cops are around. We know that feelings of safety and belonging have big effects on educational outcomes. If you don’t feel safe, you can’t focus on school. It’s as simple as that,” she said.

Chan-Pedley apologized to the students who have told her they benefited from the program, and will miss it.

“I know this program has been really good to you and kids like you, please know that I’m doing this with a really heavy heart, And I still want to do everything I can to support you.”

Those opposed to getting rid of officers in school said the program provides valuable support for students, and that officers on-site can respond to violence or danger immediately.

Trustee Fraser Ballantyne said he was worried about the “creep of crime” into the city’s schools, adding he is still worried about kids being recruited into gangs or the sex trade.

“I think that we are opening up the whole school to all kinds of further problems down the line,” he said. “I’m really concerned about the fact that we need to have prevention for our youth.”

Having cops in the school, he said, enables a quicker response to emergencies that require police intervention.

Board passes motion: pic.twitter.com/sfBk0LAzOk

— SD 39 Vancouver (@VSB39) April 27, 2021

After a lengthy debate, the motion that passed specifies programs that will not be cut, like the Indigenous Cadet Program, the VPD’s Musqueam Basketball Camp, and a mental health initiative called Here4Peers. The board will also explore options to get more funding and staffing to provide in-school counselling and other support to “fill the gaps” creating by ending the program. The board will work with police to develop protocols for lockdowns or other emergencies, and schools will still invite officers to deliver presentations on safety issues. Finally, the board will send a formal letter of thanks to the VPD for running the program for the past 50 years.

The New Westminster School Board has a final vote Tuesday on abolishing its SLO program, after a 6-1 majority backed the move earlier this month.

With files form Jonathan Szekeres and Mike Lloyd