Defund and Abolish the Ottawa Police Services
The police state in Canada, specifically Ottawa, must be abolished. The existence of police in a community will always, always disproportionately harm and kill the BIPOC members, not to mention the Black trans population, citizens with limited or no housing options, with mental health crises, and the list goes on.
Body cameras do not work. Racial sensitivity training does not work. Bans on certain weapons or use of force options do not work. The systematic and systemic racism, sexism, xenophobic, transphobia, misogynist, misogynoir is deeply embedded and cannot be extracted or corrected. These beliefs and practices built and maintain the police state. Status quo (white) will be protected at the expense of those who require critical care, understanding, and compassion.
A community -- when provided with access to tools, resources, funding, and information -- will take care of itself. Mental health programs, safe and affordable housing options, access to food, access to education, free or affordable transportation, better job options. Defunding the OPS means money in the pocket of programs and initiatives that actually support and sustain a broken community.
If Minnesota can do it, so can we.
But if the powers that be in Ottawa will continue the tradition of lip service above real institutional change, the members of this community will do the work for you, which means you may not get a say when that change comes. Listen to the community leaders, the ones doing the hard and groundbreaking work to uproot the system. They know what should and can be done.
This consultation opportunity is now closed.