District unveils new-look police presence for Vancouver schools

When students head back to class in Vancouver next week, it will be to schools with a renewed police presence.

The Vancouver School Board (VSB) provided an update Thursday on what the district’s re-imagined School Liaison Program will look like, after the initiative was restored.

“We are pleased to see the return of the SLO program in VSB schools this school year,” VSB Chair Victoria Jung said.

“I want to thank everyone who provided their input and feedback as District and police staff worked together to reimagine the program.”

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The freshly-elected ABC Vancouver majority on the district’s school board voted narrowly in November to reinstate the SLO program, after it was cancelled in 2021 by the previous board.

The controversial decision to scrap the program had followed a review and independent third-party report which found a majority of Black and Indigenous students did not feel police in schools helped foster a sense of safety.

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The board said Thursday that the renewed program “reflects what was heard in the 2021 SLO engagement report and input from community members, staff and students.”

Under the new program, police will be deployed with a more casual look, wearing polo shirts instead of full uniforms, drive unmarked cars and be armed with smaller pistols that can be carried “more discreetly.”

Deputy Police Chief Fiona Wilson, who spearheaded the program revamp, said the VPD had also taken a “close look” at training to make sure they’re communicating well with all students, including those who have experienced trauma, who come from diverse backgrounds and who may have had negative prior interactions with police.

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“I think it’s absolutely critical and it’s one of those programs that I am so excited that we’ve been able to come up with a reimagined program that’s able to address concerns that were previously raised,” Wilson said.

“Because you know the School Liaison Officer program it’s one of the few things that we can still do in policing where we can build relationships early and have a positive influence on kids.”

Police will deliver safety and crime-prevention programs, give advice and guidance to students and family who seek support, and act as a resource for students and staff, the district said.

Fifteen officers will be assigned to the SLO program with offices in high schools, but also supporting elementary schools.

Like its cancellation, the restoration of the SLO program has been controversial. In June, a member of the Vancouver Police Board resigned after members of the VPD’s African Descent Advisory Committee said they felt their feedback and opposition to the program were not taken seriously.

“The concern isn’t just for African-Canadian children, it’s also a concern for how LGBTQ folks are being dealt with, how people with disabilities are being dealt with and so on,” advisory committee member Parker Johnson said at the time.

Last November, B.C.’s human rights commissioner penned a letter to the B.C. School Trustees Association urging an end to the use of SLOs in all schools, “unless and until they can demonstrate an evidence-based need for them that cannot be met through other services.”