Greater Victoria teachers are being asked to send a form letter to Victoria city council members objecting to their support for school police liaison programs.
An e-mail is circulating to an unknown number of District 61 teachers who live in the city of Victoria. It is not clear where it originated.
It asks them to write to city council in protest about its decision to request the school board reconsider the cancellation of the school police liaison program.
The policy was set last year on the grounds that some students don’t feel safe around police. It has been in place this school year and has prompted numerous complaints from people and groups who defended school police liaison officers and say they provide a valuable service. Victoria Police Chief Del Manak has repeatedly said the SPLO program is needed in light of a surge in gang activity around schools.
The B.C. Teachers Federation and the Greater Victoria Teachers Association oppose the police liaison program, out of concern about systemic racism in the police and judicial system and the impact on racialized students.
The surge of support from defenders of the program prompted council to vote 5-4 last month to write a letter to the board asking it be reinstated.
City hall staff said Friday the letter is still being drafted and has not yet been sent.
But the council motion was enough to prompt the form-letter campaign. BCTF President Clint Johnston said Friday the union is not involved in it, but supports the sentiments.
The email invites recipients to use an attached draft letter.
A version obtained by the Times Colonist reads in part: “I am contacting you as a voter… living in Victoria to voice my objection towards the School Police Liaison Officer program, and my genuine dismay that the majority of council and the mayor undermined another publicly elected body and voted in favour of requesting that trustees overturn their decision.
“This motion flies in the face of the city’s supposed commitment to being an inclusive city… and community health and well-being.
“Ultimately, your motion demonstrates a lack of trust and respect for teachers, educators (especially those who have faced discrimination from police due to race) as well as the Human Rights Commissioner, who publicly called on trustees to end SPLO.”
The template letter said tax money should be redirected from the Victoria Police Department to “holistic alternatives of child and youth well-being through community health and wellness initiatives.”
It says “police presence does not address the factors that lead students into gangs — strong healthy communities do.
“Kids do not join gangs… because there are no police officers around, but because of a lack of social security, basic resources and pro-social opportunities.”
It asks council to consider advocating against underfunding the education system, and embed counsellors in emergency response teams.
One councillor said a few dozen of the letters, with some variations, have arrived in recent days.
Johnston said the BCTF strongly supports putting that (police funding) towards other professionals, like counsellors.
“There’s a ton of things for that money to be put towards that would do the same or better support without any harm … because we do definitely hear that there’s harm to people from having to encounter police officers in schools.”
He said it was the police department that cancelled the program in 2018, due to budget reasons.
“They were gone from schools before the board ever made a decision.”
Regarding the gang threat, Johnston said: “I’m not exactly sure how they feel that the gang activity would be reduced with their presence.”
But Lori Poppe, of the SPLO advocacy group Parents and Police together, said she was deeply concerned that students are being put in the middle of a political playground.
Police liaison officers complement counselling services, they don’t replace them, and are a valuable resource, she said.
The letter is “dangerous, disturbing and not factual.”
Other local councils also requested the board reverse its stance, as did long-time youth counsellor Mia Golden. She works on a Mobile Youth Services Team and gave a presentation to the school board meeting this week stressing the value of the program and urgent need for it.
