The commissioner says there are “significant gaps” in evidence supporting school police liaison officers and there is not enough research
When the British Columbia government fired the Greater Victoria school board last week, it effectively made police liaison programs mandatory in schools while failing to provide a factual basis for the decision, the B.C. Human Rights commissioner said in a letter.
Kasari Govender said in the letter to Education Minister Lisa Beare and Public Safety Minister Gary Begg that failure to fund research into the matter is contrary to the government’s human rights obligations “and undermines its stated values to combat racism.”
The letter dated Monday came after Beare fired the entire elected board of School District No. 61 last Thursday over its refusal to allow police in schools except in emergencies.
Neither Beare nor Begg were immediately available for comment.
“The decision to fire SD61 board members — and effectively make (School Police Liaison Officer) programs mandatory across the province — was ostensibly based on concerns about student safety, and yet the lack of transparency in this process belies a commitment to evidence-based decision-making,” Govender said.
The commissioner said there are “significant gaps” in evidence supporting school police liaison officers and there is not enough research to say definitively whether police presence in schools keeps young people safe and thriving.
“What is being called into question is the benefit of the role of police when the objective is simply to build relationships with children and youth, and if it outweighs the potential harms,” Govender wrote.
It is “past time” for funding of research into police in schools, and that an evidence-based policy is more effective and likely to avoid bias, Govender said.
The former board of the school district said its ban on police was based on reports that some students and teachers _ particularly those who are Indigenous or people of colour — did not feel safe with officers in schools.
Beare appointed a lone trustee to oversee the district until municipal elections set for the fall of 2026.
She said last week that students in the Victoria district were at risk from the board’s failure to implement a revised safety plan.