We need to defund the police and invest in housing, food, and public transit

It is unconscionable at this point to continue to invest in the carceral infrastructureof policing and prisons. We have seen their deadly results in this city, including in the horrific killing of Abdirahman by the OPS. We will never be able to measure the amount of pain, fear, and trauma that our police have caused, whether they are surveilling neighborhoods that house our most vulnerable citizens, or criminalizing our students in public schools, or attempting to treat the symptoms of our disregard for housing and substance-dependency health care. It is time to rethink what a city should be, and imagine it as a caring, compassionate set of institutions which empower our communities and help us house and feed ourselves. With less than 3/4 of the police budget we could completely eliminate the collection of fares on OC Transpo. We could use the leftover money to sponsor fruit tree planting and harvesting programs, front yard gardens, and community spaces. We need a new Ottawa, and it starts with defunding the police, with the goal of abolishing the OPS!