Members of the African descent advisory committee for the Vancouver Police Department have told the Vancouver Police Board they feel they were lied to over the process to reinstate a program that deploys armed officers to public schools.

Parker Johnson said he and the other committee members had B次元官网网址渦nanimously and unreservedlyB次元官网网址� determined they did not want police returning to schools this fall, and they were surprised to learn Thursday (June 15) that a decision had already been made.

Johnson was among those who walked out of the police board meeting, where board member Rachel Roy resigned over the handling of the re-introduction of the contentious program that had been scrapped by the previous school board in 2021.

It was cancelled after a review prompted by concerns that uniformed officers make some students anxious or upset, including many who identify as people of colour.

Newly elected school trustees voted five to four last November to bring back a B次元官网网址渞eimaginedB次元官网网址� program, while the police board voted to approve the departmentB次元官网网址檚 budget, which included an allocation for the school liaison officer program.

B次元官网网址 from the previous police board meeting in April shows vice-chair Faye Wightman agreeing with Roy that the board had not yet approved the re-introduction of school liaison officers and there would be further discussion.

However, Wightman corrected her earlier remarks on Thursday, saying she made an error in suggesting that a vote on the program would take place in June because the board already voted when it approved the budget last November.

Johnson said the advisory committee sees the situation as a B次元官网网址渇iasco.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淵ou wasted our time asking us to come to a meeting, which you already made your decision on, and so, it seems like a bold-faced lie,B次元官网网址� he said before leaving the room.

Mayor Ken Sim, who chairs the police board, told Johnson that he hadnB次元官网网址檛 lost his voice and there are avenues by which he could provide comments.

SimB次元官网网址檚 ABC Vancouver party, which holds a majority on both the school board and city council, campaigned on a promise to return officers to schools.

Sim told the meeting there are strong feelings on both sides of the debate about the program before sharing his own experience as a high school student in Vancouver.

B次元官网网址淚 was personally preyed on by the Lotus and the Red Eagles,B次元官网网址� he said, referring to two gangs at the time. B次元官网网址淭hat was the recruiting drive.B次元官网网址�

If it hadnB次元官网网址檛 been for the school liaison officer program, Sim said he would have experienced B次元官网网址渟erious physical harm, or IB次元官网网址檇 be in a gang, or IB次元官网网址檇 be dead.B次元官网网址�

Vancouver Deputy Chief Const. Fiona Wilson gave a presentation to the board outlining elements of the new program, saying there has been an increase in violence since officers were removed from schools two years ago.

The presentation suggested officers would carry a smaller gun, a smaller baton, and a smaller canister of pepper spray when the program returns this fall.

Wilson said the liaison officers will also be more diverse, they will receive additional training, and they will wear a different uniform.

Her presentation included a photo of a model wearing a blue hoodie, casual pants and a Vancouver police-branded cross-body bag.

Johnson said the African descent advisory committee feels the decision to bring the program back was B次元官网网址減olitical,B次元官网网址� and made without sufficient evidence or evaluation.

He noted B.C.B次元官网网址檚 human rights commissioner, Kasari Govender, wrote a letter to the B.C. School Trustees Association last fall, recommending that school liaison officers be removed from all schools in the province unless each district can demonstrate an evidence-based need that cannot be met through other services.

Sadie Kuehn, co-chair of the advisory committee, told the board that it was B次元官网网址渋nsultingB次元官网网址� to have committee members giving up their time, energy and expertise when a B次元官网网址渏udgment callB次元官网网址� on the program had already been made.

Roy said Thursday that the board had B次元官网网址渟tifled debateB次元官网网址� about the program.

B次元官网网址淵ouB次元官网网址檝e lied to the African descent advisory committee. I feel lied to,B次元官网网址� she told the board members before announcing she would resign after the meeting.

B次元官网网址淲e didnB次元官网网址檛 have a vote on this as a policy matter,B次元官网网址� she said.

B次元官网网址淲e didnB次元官网网址檛 consider what we, as a board, were going to do if our advisory committee said, B次元官网网址楴o, this is not the way forward in terms of addressing structural racism.B次元官网网址橞次元官网网址�

Speaking to media after the meeting, Wightman agreed the police board could have rejected the programB次元官网网址檚 return, but said it was effectively approved with the budget.

She apologized for any misunderstanding.

Brenna Owen, The Canadian Press

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