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Defund the OPS

My vision of a safe, sustainable, and equitable Ottawa is one where law enforcement are not the first / only point of contact when vulnerable members of our community require support and care. The OPS, as all other police forces in this country, is a violent institution that is built on the false premise of security for all - but this comes at the very real expense of marginalized members of our community (BIPOC, LGBTQ+ folks, persons with disabilities, homeless persons, and all intersections within).

The $360m spent on the OPS budget would be better served in community-led organizations and support services. This system is broken and must be changed.

DEFUND THE OPS

Funding needs to be directed to social services. The OPS costs more than all other social services combined and have only done harm to the community they pretend to serve. Please invest in community-based services and supports, for example social workers responding to mental health and addictions situations. We cannot continue to let BIPOC people be murdered and mistreated at the hands of law enforcement.

Police Should Not Conduct Wellness Checks or Respond to Mental Health Calls

Police are not mental health professionals. They should not be asked, expected, or trusted to respond to mental health crises. When I was 17 I was going through my 3rd year straight of crippling clinical depression, suicidal thoughts and tendencies, multiple anxiety disorders, an eating disorder, and self harming, as well as living in an abusive home environment. The police were called on me while I was having a mental health crises and panic attack. I was rocking back and forth on the ground. They were not reassuring, they were not a calming presence. Instead of being anything I needed…

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Defund the OPS

DEFUND THE OPS

Police Should Not Conduct Wellness Checks or Respond to Mental Health Calls

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