Defund the Ottawa Police

I am commenting to add my voice to the calls to reallocate the 360 million police services budget to community programs. This includes support for unhoused individuals, addiction services, indigenous services, libraries, affordable housing, etc. The police are a fundamentally racist institution, and expensive reforms such as body cameras have been proven ineffective in reducing harm caused by officers. Training programs, community policing, and other reforms have also been debunked as worthwhile projects for our tax dollars. I am a resident of the Ottawa community where Abdirahman Abdi was murdered, and I have personally seen officers ill equipped to interact with individuals suffering from mental illness. I have read accounts of police officers ostracized for whistleblowing or otherwise trying to prevent harm caused by their coworkers. I hear stories of black and indigenous people murdered by police after wellness calls. No amount of body cameras will solve these systemic issues. Defund the OPP.