Vancouver School Board begins mulling return of SLO program

The Vancouver School Board (VSB) has started hearing renewed debate about the School Liaison Officer (SLO) program, which many of the board’s newly-elected members have vowed to bring back.

The VSB officer program was disbanded by previous school board members in 2021, after it was put under review in the wake of the murder of George Floyd in Minnesota.

Trustees in favour of removing the program at that time 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.

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Most of those who spoke at Tuesday’s meeting, like student Adara Shilling, don’t want to see uniformed officers back in school hallways.

“We, as students, know the difference between a counsellor and a cop,” Shilling explained. “We know the difference between somebody who has been trained to help us and has our best interests at heart, and somebody who is there to police us.”

Shilling says having uniformed officers in the halls can negatively affect some students. Shilling recounted one incident where students became so uncomfortable with an officer’s presence, they didn’t seek help from school staff.

“Not only did they not go into the counsellor’s office to ask for help when they needed it, they would be late to class because they would take detours around the school to avoid the counselling suite and the school police officer,” she told board trustees.

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Student Nico Branham reiterated Shilling, saying having uniformed police officers in the halls was distressing, especially for Black and Indigenous students.

“They were aware that he was essentially an intimidation and authority figure at all times,” Branham said of an officer.

However, there were some who spoke to trustees about their fond memories of the program.

“These officers are human and both of us will always be here. Hence the reason that building this relationship is so important,” Ali Chaudhry, another student, said. “[I was able to] have a conversation with the SLO and he was able to guide me in a way that ensured my safety and identity.”

Last year, Vancouver school board trustee Lois Chan-Pedley told CityNews 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.”

The board is now mostly made up of ABC Vancouver members, and reinstating the SLO program was one of the party’s key campaign promises. Continued debate on the topic will be heard this week, with a vote scheduled for the next regular board meeting on Monday, Nov. 28.