The board for School District 61 (SD61) was ordered this week by Education Minister Rachna Singh to work with local police departments to address safety issues through an action plan.

This order comes as the ongoing debate of student police liaison officers (SPLO) in schools has bubbled up throughout the year. SPLOs were removed from SD61 schools in May 2023—VicPD stopped allocating funds to the program four years prior to this—after the BC human rights commissioner called for the end of the program in schools until an “evidence-based need” for it was proven. In February, VicPD called for the reinstatement of these officers amid concerns the department had about gang recruiting near schools.

The SD61 board stood by their decision not to include SPLOs in schools, citing a two-year engagement process and a survey that found 16% of students and staff felt uncomfortable around the officers. The board also pointed to the unclear objectives of the program, the lack of school oversight for officer-student interactions, and the non-existent data on the frequency of officers’ visits. 

The SD61 board met with Singh and Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth last month to share their initial safety plan ahead of the school year. In a release, the SD61 board said it told the minister on Aug 19. it would provide detailed answers to any of the minister’s questions about its plan. However, Farnworth and Singh wrote in an Aug. 30 email to the VicPD board chair that the school board’s safety plan did not adequately address preventative safety measures. 

The board must now work with VicPD and Saanich Police to develop a long-term plan for student safety—including improving the relationship between the board and the police. The safety plan does not include any mention of reinstating the SPLO program.

In response to the order, the SD61 board said that provincial interference was unnecessary as the board had already been communicating with police while creating its safety plan. 

“We are concerned that rather than engage in continued collaborative efforts alongside us and police services, the Minister took this preemptive and unprecedented step so close to the provincial interregnum period,” said the SD61 board.

The safety plan must: 

• Address increased gang activity, safety concerns, crime prevention, and crisis response at schools in the school district, including planned strategies for dealing with these issues
• Describe how the board will collaborate with the police, First Nations, and relevant organizations to promote respect, integrity, and DEI principles in schools
• Establish a trauma-informed approach for interactions between students and police officers to ensure positive relationships 
• Include a protocol for communication and coordination between the board and the police
• Describe the respective roles and responsibilities of the board and police in ensuring a safe school environment
• Include a commitment to improve the relationship between the board and the police
• Include a process for making changes to the plan, including 60-days advance notice for the education minister