Concerned parents rallied at a Saanich high school to put pressure on the Greater Victoria School District (SD61) to reinstate school liaison officers as people say there has been increase gang activity since the program was cancelled.
On March 14, dozens of parents and community members rallied at Spectrum Community School ahead of the district’s budget meeting where trustees gather input on budget priorities for the 2024 to 2025 school year.
“We’re just here to ask the trustees to reconsider. Sit down with those that are impacted, and with the community and sit down and have a discussion,” said Mark Jenkins, a former school liaison officer. “Our kids deserve our attention, they need to feel safe at school and I can tell you as a parent, our kids do not.”
The SD61 police liaison program was cut in June 2023 after a 2022 study in the United States found school officers made marginalized students feel less safe, and the B.C. human rights commissioner, Kasari Govender, recommended the programs be ended unless school districts can demonstrate an evidence-based need for the program.
Since the program was cut, parents and police say they have seen more violence, drugs, and gang infiltration in Greater Victoria schools.
“We can come together and address these problems and move forward and not continually perpetuate fear around the police by removing them. There’s other ways forward,” said Lori Poppe, a member of Parents and Police Together.
Chief Dean Duthie, of the Saanich Police Department, said he supports the program being reconsidered, and he hopes to have a conversation with all the parties involved so an informed decision can be made.
“It’ll take the school board trustees to be a key figure in making that happen,” said Duthie. “To have them make the decision to revisit [the liaison officer program] by them bringing the stakeholders to the table, and really hearing voices and making an informed decision on what kind of program will work and and address the needs of all students in an inclusive way.”
On Thursday, March 14, Saanich Mayor Dean Murdock wrote a letter to the school district calling on trustees to reinstate the program.
“Safety for students and young people is a priority for everyone in our community. Council has heard from many concerned parents that they would like to see the return of the school liaison officer program in the Greater Victoria School District,” noted Murdock.
Black Press reached out to the school district but they did not reply to a request for comment by publication.
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