Please Defund the Police

It's time we move resources away from policing, and into mental health/addictions, housing, and other social services.

Defunding police and allocating these resources to mental health/wellness addresses the root of the problem and can actually help people before they reach the point of crisis. In a crisis situation, a social worker or someone trained in de-escalation would monumentally increase the chances of a safe outcome. Police aren't trained to deal with these issues- why do we send them (with weapons) when we know that they don't know how to help people in these situations, and resort to violence, especially if they encounter a Black or Indigenous person?

We know that historically and at present, police are abusive, belittling and threatening to BIPOC and LQBTQ2+ people. If the city actually cares about keeping Ottawa safe, let's take the power away from the biggest perpetrator of violence- the police.