RELEVANT
FOCUSED
READY

Evaluating the Role and Impact of School Liaison Officers in British Columbia
Amit Mahay

Introduction

Results

In January 2025, activists, teachers, and community members in
Victoria protested the potential reinstatement of the School Liaison
Officer (SLO) program (Seymour, 2025). Supporters argue that SLOs
enhance school safety and foster positive police-community relations
(Seymour, 2025). However, critics highlight the program's unintended
consequences, such as racial discrimination, which previously led to its
discontinuation in Vancouver and Victoria (Seymour, 2025). Despite
these concerns, policymakers are now advocating for the program’s
return, which amplifies stakeholder conflicts and disagreements.
Although the SLO program remains a contentious issue, there is
limited research on its impact. As a result, this study explores the
perspectives of students, educators, and community members to
evaluate its effectiveness on school safety and well-being. By
analyzing both supporting and opposing perspectives, this study aims
to address the question: What concerns do public members have about
the SLO program in the Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island?

Findings reveal a persistent divide among stakeholders regarding
the effectiveness of the SLO program. While the media frames the
issue as a binary conflict, academic literature presents an informative
discussion with diverse perspectives. A primary concern in the
educational sector is the reported negative impacts of SLOs on student
well-being (Seymour, 2025). Research by the Teachers’ Federation
(2022) shows that BIPOC educators view police presence as
intimidating rather than protective. Meanwhile, law enforcement
supports reinstating SLOs, linking their removal to increased
criminality among youth. The Minister of Education argues that the
program helps prevent gang involvement (Seymour, 2025). However,
research challenges these claims, suggesting SLOs contribute to overpolicing rather than safety. Studies indicate that police presence
increases student arrests, suspensions, and racial disparities in
discipline (Javdani, 2019). Media and empirical research further
highlight that BIPOC students disproportionately experience fear,
intimidation, and systemic discrimination (Samuels-Wortley et al.,
2021). Evidence suggests that SLOs do not significantly reduce
violence or gang activity (Javdani, 2019). Critics argue that the push
for SLOs is politically motivated rather than evidence-based.
Therefore, many advocate for alternative safety models, such as
civilian personnel trained in mental health and trauma-informed
approaches (Samuels-Wortley et al., 2021).

Background
The presence of police in schools has been a long-debated issue in
the Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island. SLOs were introduced to
build relationships between law enforcement and students, improve
community policing, and prevent crime (see Figure 1). However,
concerns arose regarding the program’s disproportionate impact on
Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour (BIPOC) students (Teachers’
Federation, 2022). Research indicates that police presence minimally
affects school safety while negatively impacting students’ mental
health, leading to the program's removal in major school districts
(Samuels-Wortley et al., 2021). Despite limited evidence, the B.C.
government supports reinstating SLOs, citing that they prevent youth
violence (Seymour, 2025). The ongoing divide among key
stakeholders has resulted in a lack of consensus on the program’s
future. Since the program may be reimplemented, assessing its impact
through research-driven analysis is crucial. Understanding its benefits
and unintended consequences will help inform policy decisions and
ensure that school safety initiatives are effective.

Methods
This study uses comparative content analysis to examine
qualitative data from news articles and academic literature. The data
collection process involved sourcing news articles from Google and
CBC’s websites using the keyword “SLO program.” Articles were
selected based on publication dates from 2020-2025 and their
discussion on public reactions, policy changes, and law enforcement
perspectives. Data from news articles were analyzed using open
coding, where information was labelled based on emerging themes and
patterns. During focused coding, labels were refined into codes
according to their relevance to the research question. Through thematic
coding, individual codes were grouped into four themes that highlight
central patterns and perspectives in the data: Stakeholder Concerns,
Safety and Security Arguments, Disproportionate Impact, and
Alternative Safety Models. The data analysis examined the frequency
and significance of established codes in existing literature to determine
how public discourse aligns with scholarly perspectives and research.
Figure 1
The Role of School Liaison Officers in Community Engagement

Discussion
A strength of this study is that it uses a comprehensive data
collection approach, integrating qualitative and secondary data. This
allows media and academic literature to reinforce or contradict public
concerns, enhancing reliability. Analyzing both sources captures
diverse stakeholder perspectives, such as educators, law enforcement,
and policymakers, providing valuable insights. The combination of
data helps cross-reference information, which can eliminate biases and
increase the validity of the available data. However, a key limitation is
the reliance on news articles, which may frame issues in a manner that
reflects political or corporate interests. Media sources can often
oversimplify or misrepresent information, weakening the study’s
findings. Additionally, the 15-week study duration limits the ability to
conduct long-term analysis. Since the SLO debate is ongoing, findings
may quickly become outdated.

Conclusions
This study finds that public concerns raised in the media are
supported by academic literature, highlighting the need for a
reevaluation of the SLO program's effectiveness. The ongoing debate
over the program’s impact underlines its disproportionate effects on
BIPOC students. The results reveal that the lack of empirical evidence
on SLOs emphasizes the need for Canadian-based research to assess
their impact on student safety, gang involvement, and disciplinary
actions. Future studies should prioritize student perspectives by
incorporating surveys and interviews to capture first-hand experiences.
Addressing these research gaps will provide evidence-based insights
that accurately reflect the realities of Canadian schools, informing
more balanced policy discussions and decisions.

References
Javdani, S. (2019). Policing education: An empirical review of the
challenges and impact of the work of school police officers.
American journal of community psychology, 63(3-4), 253-269.
Samuels-Wortley, K., Crosse, S., Tang, Z., Bauer, E. L., Harmon, M.
A., Hagen, C. A., & Greene, A. D. (2021). The state of school
liaison programs in Canada. Criminology & Public Policy, 19(3),
905-940.
Seymour, B. (2025, January 10). Group rallies against reinstatement
of Greater Victoria school liaison officers. Saanich News.
https://www.saanichnews.com/local-news/group-rallies-againstreinstatement-of-school-liason-officers-7753601
Teachers’ Federation, B. C. (2022). Policing in school projects.
https://www.bctf.ca/docs/default-source/for-news-andstories/policing-in-schools-final-report.pdf?sfvrsn=2494acaf_2

Retrieved from: https://www.deltapolice.ca/communityprograms/schools

Bachelor of Law Enforcement Studies

Justice Institute of British Columbia

Mar. 2025