As South Island students prepare to head back to class, police are also readying for a return to schools after being absent for more than two years.
After the Greater Victoria school board cancelled the School Police Liaison Officer (SPLO) program in May 2023, Saanich Police Chief Dean Duthie said he and his team are confident about fulfilling their former role.
“The Saanich Police Department is very excited to reintegrate into School District 61,” he said. “We have a full staff of community liaison officers that are ready and have already started engaging with principals to prepare for the school year.”
Covering more than 50 schools across two districts – including 21 in SD61 – Saanich Police plans to send 14 officers into classrooms to address a wide range of topics and pressing issues.
Their role, according to Duthie, is primarily focused on connecting with young ones.
“Essentially, (SPLOs) are truly based on connecting and engaging with students to help build relationships and provide some awareness and education around public and personal safety in the school environment and in the community in general,” he said.
The program’s roles and services may vary depending on each school’s specific needs, Duthie added.
From giving presentations on internet or cellphone safety, SPLOs can also monitor gang activity and other issues that may make “students feel unsafe in and outside school environments.”
“There's some specific topics that our officers focus on, and that could range from drug use, substance use, interpersonal violence, domestic violence, human trafficking,” Duthie said.
In parallel, since the program's absence from SD61, reports over the past two years suggest an uptick in gang recruitment in local schools.
Data provided by Saanich police showed that between the start of 2021 and June 7, 2024, there were 26 police files containing search terms 'gang' and 'school,’ with an increase of 22 files in 2023. In 2023, there were an additional six files relating to Brothers Keepers – a gang originating in B.C.’s Lower Mainland with ties to murders and drug trafficking. There were no files mentioning either of the two gangs prior to 2021.
The department does note, however, that text pages referring to gangs may or may not involve verified gang activity.
Between 2023 and the first half of 2024, a total of 26 gang intelligence files were documented by Saanich police, nearly as many as the 27 files documented between 2015 and 2022.
In light of these numbers, Duthie reiterated the value of SPLOs in the municipality’s schools to monitor and address concerning trends at their source.
“We believe it's very important to have police working with schools and students in that environment,” he said. “The awareness factor that police can bring into the schools… is really critical.
“It's all about relationship building and allowing students to feel safe in schools.”
After the school board trustees cancelled the SPLO program following a recommendation from the B.C. human rights commissioner – who cited a UN report saying school officers could make marginalized students feel less safe – Duthie said he aims to provide “holistic community care,” supporting all members of the district regardless of their ethnic background.
“I’m very confident in… the current school safety plan,” said Duthie. “It involved a very diverse range of key stakeholders within our community that had very strong voices on making this program very meaningful and successful with the overall goal of being culturally sensitive.”
