If all you have is police, everything looks like a crime

If we didn't have the police, we would see things differently

Someone who's homeless needs a place to live, not the police

Someone in mental health crisis needs proper mental health care, not the police

Someone who can't afford food needs food to eat, not the police

Someone who's dealing with addiction needs support and resources, not the police

We spend over $350 million on the police now - a better Ottawa would invest in making sure everyone's needs are met instead of punishing people who can't meet them.

This also includes setting people up for success with investment in education, job training and otherwise upstream approaches.

This is even without considering the harm caused by overpolicing/police brutality/systemic racism.

Abolishing the police is a process, and it has to start somewhere. Start with defunding the police and meeting people's basic needs instead.

(This resource is a far better explanation than I can give of the harm done by policing)

http://criticalresistance.org/resources/the-abolitionist-toolkit/