What can school liaison officers do to improve the adolescent-police relationship with the return of Vancouver's School Liaison Officer program?

Abstract

This study is a secondary data analysis researching School Liaison Officers and the best practices in training, selection, and program management for the return of Vancouver’s School Liaison Officer program. The research question is “What Can School Liaison Officers Do to Improve the Adolescent-Police Relationship with the Return of Vancouver’s School Liaison Officer Program?” A significant gap in Canadian research was found on programs in Canada and on adolescent-police interactions, requiring the collection of data from other western countries. The research suggests a new program for the Vancouver Police Department and a national teaching program, with a focus on the need for post secondary education, cultural training, situation training, and a reduced officer presence.school liaison officer; adolescent-police; police mistrust; social conflict theor