Defund police in favour of community services
A safer community for me and everyone else would be a community that is well-positioned to address the health and unique needs of individuals. As someone who works for a social service organization, I've seen how much our city relies on philanthropy to fund vital, lifesaving frontline services. But we can't rely on philanthropy—it falls apart during times of crisis like the current pandemic, when people are less generous despite an increased need for social services. Stable investments in community services like mental health, harm reduction, housing, childhood education, poverty reduction, etc. should all be priorities of our municipal government in order to ensure the wellbeing of all citizens.
Instead, much of our city budget is allocated to policing—punishment and surveillance that disproportionately harms Black, Indigenous and other people of colour, newcomers, women, people who are homeless, and people who live in low-income circumstances. If we used funds that are typically earmarked for police to instead fund upstream interventions, we would have healthier people and stronger communities.
I have called 911 for people in mental or health distress only to be told that there are no paramedics available, and the dispatch would send police instead. This has the potential to be deadly for BIPOC & other marginalized groups who fear and have negative interactions with police as their everyday experience. This shows our community is not properly resourced for its needs.
Instead of policing people for being homeless, let's give people homes and provide them with well-funded, culturally-appropriate wraparound supports like employment coaching and mental health & addictions support. Instead of policing people for drug use, let's bolster harm reduction initiatives and increase access to rehabilitation programs. Instead of increasing policing in poor/racialized communities because of "guns and gangs," invest in supportive social and educational programs for youth that help them succeed and feel a sense of belonging as they grow. The list goes on.
Most importantly, the city must dismantle racist, colonial systems that disproportionately harm and kill BIPOC, and that starts with police. Attempts at reform are an excuse to continue pumping money into the police force. Implement a hiring freeze and reduce the force through attrition, strip the guns away from officers, and stop the budget increases year after year. Our community will be safer if we proactively address the root causes of inequities that result in harm. Policing is a violent, reactive approach that causes more problems than it solves.