Race, Gender, Sexuality and Security: The School Resource Officer (SRO) Program in Canada

School shootings and other violent crimes have led parents, policymakers, and other school stakeholders to prioritize safety. The School Resource Officer (SRO) program has gradually become an essential part of the security and disciplinary frameworks integrated into schools. Evidence suggests that the program has become a contentious social issue in Canadian society. It is criticized for classist, gendered, and racialized practices. In particular, students who identify as Black, Brown, and/or LGBTQIA2S+ face major issues vis-à-vis police presence in schools. Given the context, this study explores the experiences of various actors — students, parents, school administrators, teachers, and police officers — with the SRO program. It investigates the bureaucratic underpinnings of and policy directions regarding SRO programs across various jurisdictions in Canada. This is a multisite pan-Canadian qualitative study. The research began with a pilot in Edmonton, Alberta. Over 270 interviews were conducted with six sets of participants connected to the SRO program: (1) current and former students of schools, (2) parents, (3) current and former teachers, (4) school resource officers, (5) school board trustees and administrators, and (6) advocates for and against the SRO program. Three major themes emerged in our pilot study: SROs as trusted and source of security, SROs as ambivalent presence, and SROs as distrusted and a source of insecurity. Some students appreciate the physical presence of a police officer in a school vis-à-vis the threat of violence. Students also emphasize the importance of relationship-building among students, other actors, and SROs. The lack of information about the boundaries and duties of SROs was a constant concern among the students. Students who identify as BIPOC (i.e. Black, Indigenous and People of Colour) shared concerns about being disproportionately affected by police presence and disciplinary action. We also found an empirical need to focus on LGBTQIA2S+ and students with disability.