Several local First Nations and other community members have spoken out against the Greater Victoria School Board’s (GVSB) decision to end its police-liaison officer program in 2023. GVSB justified the decision by asserting that a police presence could cause discomfort for Black and Indigenous students. The decision has been opposed by local First Nations such as the Songhees Nation and Esquitmal Nation, who wrote a letter to BC Education Minister Lisa Beare to voice their “grave concerns regarding governance missteps and lack of meaningful consultation” around the decision. Local police, organizations, and parents have also spoken out against the decision, as has BC MLA Lynne Block, who called on Beare to replace the board with a trustee. CHEK reports that the Greater Victoria Teachers’ Association and Victoria Confederation of Parent Advisory Councils have voiced opposition to Block’s comments. The BC Ministry of Education is now reviewing the alternative safety plans produced by GVSB.