The School Liaison Officer (SLO) program is a safety model that has been a controversial topic in British Columbia, particularly in the Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island, where debates over police presence and its impact on student well-being have been persistent. While advocates argue that SLOs improve school safety, critics claim that they over-criminalize and disproportionately impact Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour (BIPOC) students. Despite these programs having been implemented previously, there is a lack of agreement and consensus regarding their effectiveness. This study used a comparative content analysis approach to answer the question: What concerns do public members have about the SLO program in the Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island? By analyzing news articles and academic literature, this study revealed that public concerns strongly oppose the reimplementation of the SLO program. Findings highlight that police presence correlates with higher student arrests and suspensions, particularly among BIPOC students. Instead of increasing a sense of security, research indicates that SLOs create confusion, fear, intimidation, and role ambiguity for students. As a result, public concerns have raised questions about the role and importance of SLOs in schools, amplifying the debate and controversy over their reimplementation. However, due to a lack of Canadian data and research, conflicting perspectives are not effectively reinforced or rebutted. This study concludes that conducting Canadian-based research on SLOs is necessary to inform policy discussions and decisions. Future studies should incorporate student experiences to introduce a critical perspective that can effectively shape the future of the SLO program.
