A new Safety Plan has been approved by the BC government and will be implemented in the coming school year that will reinstate the controversial School Police Liaison Officer (SPLO) program.
The SPLO program was initially cut in May 2023, meaning police would no longer be present in schools within the Greater Victoria School District (SD61) for the 2023-24 school year.
However, SD61 said at the time they would still be reliant on police, if and when a situation that required their involvement arose.
This decision was made unanimously by the school board following in-depth research, as well as talks with students, teachers, administration and local police detachments to determine if the SPOL program was in the best interest of its students.
Ultimately the school board decided it was no longer needed.
Reasons for the SLPO program ending
According to SD61’s former school board representatives, the decision reflected the evolving needs of students and the importance of safeguarding the rights’ of students.
Instead of having a constant police presence in schools, SD61 was advocating for more funding for social services and supports.
“Police are being asked to fill in gaps in student support and to take on roles that should be filled by individuals with specialized expertise, such as youth and family counsellors and social workers,” said Nicole Duncan, former education chair for SD61 at the time of the decision.
“Further funding is required for this specialized support, and the Board has committed to advocating for this funding from the provincial government,” she added.
At the time, the school board said that there have been positive interactions that came from the program, but many students and teachers felt unsafe with a police presence constantly looming in a place that is supposed to feel safe.
Following the May 2023 decision, the Support Network for Indigenous Women and Women of Colour (SNIWWOC) released a message of commendation for SD61 ending the SPLO program.
In this, SNIWWOC highlighted all of the reasons BIPOC students would benefit from the SPOL program ending:
- Many BIPOC students graduate high school with first and second hand trauma experiences at the hands of police
- The 2021 Greater Victoria Local Immigration Partnership Network Survey revealed that 30% of BIPOC Victorians have experienced racism from local police
- A police officer isn’t bound by the same physical contact and restraint policies that other school staff are
- VicPD reports from 2016 to 2021 show them disproportionately policing BIPOC youth — Around 19% of people VicPD labeled as “youth suspects” were Indigenous when they comprise only 5% of Victoria’s population
- A disproportionate amount of incident reports have stemmed from Esquimalt High School, a school with a largely BIPOC student body
- Canada’s House of Commons determined that systemic racism is present in all police organizations and work must be put in across the country to make positive changes in this regard
Additionally, a BC Human Rights Commissioner recommendation was cited in the decision. This recommendation was based on a United Nations report that determined marginalized students could feel increasingly unsafe in a school with a police presence.
Backlash since the program was cut
VicPD was ultimately disappointed by this and has encouraged the City of Victoria and the BC government to have the school board reinstate the SPLO program ever since.
From the time of the decision to end the program, VicPD and Saanich Police have both claimed that there has been an uptick in gang-related activity within Greater Victoria Schools.
Multiple municipal governments that fall within SD61’s jurisdiction also called on the Province to reinstate the program, which resulted in the Ministry of Education and Child Care stepping in.
First, the Province appointed a special advisor to SD61’s school board to help guide them in establishing a new official Safety Plan.
The school board then developed three Draft Safety Plans by January 2025. All of these plans laid out different levels of involvement with police in schools, but none included the reinstatement of the SPLO program.
Many residents, parents and municipalities were upset with the drafts because the special advisor determined the school board did not involve the Songhees and Esquimalt First Nations in creating the Draft Safety Plans, both of whom had publicly stated their support for the SPLO program in schools.
Lisa Beare, Minister of Education and Child Care denied all three Draft Safety Plans and made the decision to terminate all nine elected school board trustees, replacing them with a sole, government-appointed trustee, Sherri Bell.
“Students are at the centre of every decision I make, and ultimately their safety in this school district is at risk. Our government has given this board multiple opportunities to act, and they have not delivered,” said Beare at the time of the decision to fire the trustees.
“The decision to remove an elected board is a difficult one, but it is necessary to bring our collective focus in School District 61 back to where it belongs – supporting students.”
Since Bell was appointed, many municipalities, including Esquimalt and Victoria, have called on the Province to establish school board trustee electoral reform in the form of implementing a ward system. This process is currently underway.
The new Safety Plan
The new Safety Plan was revealed through the SD61 Superintendent’s year end letter, and was not communicated to the public through the Province, or VicPD.
In a joint statement, Deb Whitten, Superintendent of Schools for SD61 and Sherri Bell, SD61’s Official Trustee said that the new Safety Plan was shaped by the voices of rightsholders and stakeholders in the community.
“Over the summer months we have met with each police service to solidify communication strategies and ensure understanding of the plan so that we may proactively foster a safe and trauma-informed environment for each student and staff member in our schools,” said Whitten and Bell.
“This collaborative effort reflects our commitment to maintaining strong relationships with those who share our mission to nurture learning and wellbeing in a safe, culturally responsive, and inclusive learning community.”
The Safety Plan that was implemented says it acknowledges the concerns of the learning community, that a police presence may make them feel less safe and less comfortable at school.
“These concerns and perspectives have been carefully considered in the development of the Safety Plan. Police members working in schools will use a trauma-informed approach that considers the ethnic, cultural, and/or gender identity of students,” reads the Safety Plan.
“Both the District and local police services commit to centering the perspectives of Indigenous, racialized, and equity-deserving students as the Safety Plan is implemented, as well as making revisions to the plan moving forward.”
The Safety Plan is the official document which lays out what police responsibilities are within SD61 schools.
The new Safety Plan’s responsibilities for police officers in schools includes:
- Building relationships with the learning community by having a regular presence in the school
- Meeting at least quarterly with the school principal
- Informing the school principal when on site
- Engaging with youth in positive, authentic, non-confrontational ways
- Working with the school board and staff to deliver proactive safety, crime prevention and crisis response
- Providing advice and guidance to students, parents/caregivers and staff who request support Working with the school board and staff to review and revise safety and security protocols, focussing on lockdown procedures and facilitation of drills
- Being mentors and positive role models to students
- Supporting and participating in cultural safety, and restorative/trauma-informed training
Since the Safety Plan was approved, VicPD has selected two officers who will begin participating in the SPLO program in one-week’s time, when school returns.
“They will be making proactive, relationship-focused visits to the schools within our jurisdiction, as well as helping schools with lock-down drills and preventative safety measures,” said Cheryl Major, spokesperson for VicPD.
She added that VicPD will be making an announcement to introduce these officers to the community at large soon.
