Students, officers, community members debate future of the VPD in Vancouver schools

Students, parents, and school liaison officerswere among the more than 30 people who shared their thoughts Monday and Tuesday with the Vancouver School Board on the future of theschool liaison officer program.

The school liaison officer (SLO) program, which currently has 17 officers stationed across thedistrict, is the subject of a review ordered last year by the school board.

This week's special meetings followed the release of an independent reportlast week. A final decision on the future of the program is expected in late April.

Richard Smallboy, a former student at Britannia and Vancouver Technical secondary schools,is among those calling for the program to be terminated.

"Systemic issues that are present across the nation are reinforced by programs such as the SLO because they create direct links between the institutions of learning and the criminal justice system," said Smallboy, who isCree from the Maskwacis Cree Nation.

He told the board about twoincidents that happenedwhile he was a student at Van Tech in which he was being bullied and it led to physical altercations.

The first incident, he said, was handled by a counsellor who facilitated a restorative justice practice with an elder and the other student, which resulted in a respectful outcome.

The second incident, however, was handled by the school's SLO, he said.

"I was punished and suspended and there was no reprimand for his [the other student's] actions," said Smallboy, who alleges he was regularly harassed by the SLOafter the incident, which led to him dropping out of school.

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But oneGrade 12 student atSir Winston Churchill secondary, who the CBC has agreed not to name, said their experience with the school liaison officer has been positive, calling the officer "one of the fewtrustworthy adults in my life."

The youth, a person of colour and a member of the queer community, believes the school liaison program has a positive impact on the school community.

"After five years, I have never once felt unsafe around him despite the fact that I am evidently gender non-conforming," theysaid.

"The problem of students feeling unsafe in schools will not simply vanish with the [school liaison officer] program.

"It will not stop the slurs in the hallways or the transphobic comments in class discussions. To me, this is a much deeper issue that's unrelated to the program."

The discussion around whether police officers belong in schools isn't unique to Vancouver.

One Black student in Burnaby told CBC Newsin June that having a police presence at school intimidates her and she doesn't understand their purpose.

Independent report

The independentreportreleased last weekfeaturesfeedback from students about officers in schools.

The report, prepared by a third party, Argyle Communications Inc., acknowledged that acts of racism and discrimination involving police in North America haveraised questions about police presence in schools.

It noted that compared to the overall student population, students who identified as Black and Indigenous were less likely to refer to positive relationships with school liaison officers.

According to the report, those students were more likely to use words like "uncomfortable, scared, anxious" and less likely to use words like "safe, supported, caring"than other students.

The report found Black studentswere more likely to mention police as symbols of larger societal concerns, such as systemic racism and abuses of power, while Indigenous students experiencedfeelings of "discomfort" around armed, uniformed officers.

However, thereport also says students who identified as personsof colouroften expressed a personal connection to school liaison officers if they shared the same ethnic background and appreciated having an authority figure for guidance and support.

School trustees will hear from community members and stakeholders on April 7at a policy and governance committee meeting.

May 3, 2021:CBC has removed the name of one youth who spoke at theVancouver School Boardmeeting after theyraised concerns whenthe piece was originally published.