They do not have the authority to debate the budget line by line and are not allowed to direct police operations. Police say the “graffiti” is currently under criminal investigation, and they have executed a warrant on one individual involved. She's not sure if police will. “Hamilton has been fairly innovative,” she said, pointing the MCRRT and Social Navigator programs. presentation-ready copies of Toronto Star content for distribution "There will be an investigation that will move as a result of this.". "But the minute they step into the roadway and disrupt a main artery in our city and cause mischief in our community and disrupt traffic flow," then it becomes a criminal matter. Sarah Jama, a lead organizer, told CBC News the timing — right before the board meeting — was intentional. Hamilton police investigating 'defund the police' painting on Main Street, Police, Hamilton mayor decry 'unfair' cartoon depicting law enforcement's treatment of people of colour, Police board makes 'condescending' decision to explore budget cut it has no intention of making, CBC's Journalistic Standards and Practices. It’s time to reimagine policing and find solutions where force isn’t necessary, she said, advocating a more humanitarian and compassionate approach. This is not the time for “performance politics or empty gestures,” she added. permissions/licensing, please go to: www.TorontoStarReprints.com. ", Bobby Hristova is a reporter/editor with CBC Hamilton. In 2018, 233 total use-of-force reports were submitted by Hamilton officers that year. The demonstration happened an hour before a police services board meeting where members received dozens more letters in favour of taking money from the police budget and putting it into mental health, affordable housing and other social services. The framework for the plan was set out by the province in 2018 with the goal of addressing the root causes of crime. The movement is not a new one, but it has garnered steam and more mainstream support in the wake of the death of George Floyd, who suffocated under the knee of a Minneapolis police officer, and other police action that disproportionately affects Black and Indigenous people and people of colour. Copyright owned or licensed by Toronto Star Newspapers Limited. Disturbances, domestic incidents and people in crisis are the most frequent calls Hamilton police respond to. It’s a “buzzword,” said Ameil Joseph, an associate professor in McMaster University’s department of social work, who spoke at a rally where hundreds converged outside Hamilton city hall. They created the Mobile Crisis Rapid Response Team, which pairs trained officers with mental-health professionals to respond to 911 calls of people in crisis, and the Social Navigator Program, which through a referral process helps divert people away from court to social service agencies. In Hamilton, people have taken to the streets in multiple protests against anti-Black racism in recent weeks, with some of them drawing thousands in attendance. Twolan also pointed to the importance of police oversight, arguing that police are the most regulated agency in Ontario, from the rules of the Police Services Act, to oversight bodies including the Special Investigations Unit and Office of the Independent Police Review Director. “I think it’s important to note that police have been saying for years to stop downloading (work onto police),” he said. In 2019, Hamilton police received 195,000 calls to 911. Republication or distribution of this content is The Hamilton police board is defending the service’s track record on mental-health calls, use of force and its work in schools as a campaign aimed at defunding its budget sustains pressure. Pointing to the statement by councillors Nann and Wilson, he said the conversation isn’t about police not being funded, but rather “a larger conversation about suitable responses to call for services.”. The unit — which includes the Social Navigator, Mobile Crisis Rapid Response Unit and COAST — is “quite diverse” in its approaches. They are going to continue to educate themselves and others, and going to continue to act and organize," she told CBC News. Toronto Star articles, please go to: www.TorontoStarReprints.com, Reach The Spectator newsroom at 905-526-3420 or. The rapid response initiative, in particular, has responded to 2,691 people in crisis annually over five years. But he added “there will always be protesters that are just anti-police.”, Explaining the highlights of a year-end report on use of force, Sgt. And once in jail, they are more likely to face discipline and less likely to get parole. Those who oppose police defunding raise fears that reducing police would reduce public safety. But individual squads often set ticket targets. ", The painting is just about finished. At least 100 people gathered at noon with signs, chalk, banners and spray paint. Police legitimacy versus police responsibility. News Jun 10, 2020 by Matthew Van Dongen Hamilton Spectator. Bergen sits on Hamilton’s Community Safety and Well-Being Plan committee, which is developing a community-wide plan to combat crime and increase public safety through an integrated approach that looks beyond just policing. In most of the cases, the person killed was armed, including several with knives. Closed Captioning and Described Video is available for many CBC shows offered on CBC Gem. Black and Indigenous people are overrepresented in the justice system and are also more likely to be victims of crime in Canada. Police already have innovative approaches to dealing with people in crisis. Using force is part of police work. Earlier, board vice-chair Don MacVicar responded to a raft of letters — 297 of them — calling for police reform, body-worn cameras and redirection of funds. Both times, the victims had a knife. The demonstration — which blocked about 200 metres of Main Street — resonated with such rallying cries as “Black Lives Matter” and “defund, disarm, dismantle — abolish.”. "We maintain that people have the right to assemble and have peaceful protest," he said. "I don't know how they'll receive it. “When we don’t invest in each other, we see problems collide with our most critical services — emergency rooms and police,” he said. National. Songs by Kendrick Lamar and NWA played in the background. To order copies of “It’s about time to consider the ways this disproportionate focus also warrants a broader more transformative approach,” Adjekum said. For defunding to work, Joseph said there would need to be a bigger picture approach that examined changing the laws of the country to decriminalize many things in areas such as mental health, addiction, sex work or immigration. Reach her via email. "We want money to be taken away from police and given to community services in our city. She also noted most fatal encounters with police involve people with addiction or mental illness. To order copies of The other two incidents in 2018 were the fatal shootings of Quinn MacDougall, killed on April 3, and Robyn Garlow, who was killed in an apartment on King Street East on Oct. 20. Police, including in Hamilton, shy away from using the word quota. “We won’t need the spaces in the prison system,” he said, adding that that money can also be used to reinvest in programs and services. and "We will win!". And the movement has already seen change. Greg Dongen took city councillor and police board member Chad Collins to task for arguing a 20 per cent reduction isn’t feasible. About Demands Media Donate Get Involved Share Your Story. On June 11, Hamilton’s police board voted to explore what a 20 per cent budget cut would look like, but only to prove why it would be impossible. Also in the background, a handful of police officers stood quietly and watched. If you cut 20 per cent of that budget, it would mean about 236 fewer constable positions, he said. Thursday’s packed agenda included staff presentations on use of force, the crisis response unit and youth crime — all pertinent to the climate of protest. She said the church supports the movement. More than 100 protesters gathered outside city hall Thursday to call for the reallocation of police funds to other services like housing, mental health and education just as board members settled in for an agenda packed with reports. The difference? As of this January, police services in Ontario are mandated to collect race-related data in use-of-force arrests. Deputy Chief Frank Bergen said Thursday evening that police are investigating it because it was mischief to public property and blocking Main Street East. In the Oregon communities of Eugene and Springfield, there is a different approach to crisis intervention. It is a priority for CBC to create a website that is accessible to all Canadians including people with visual, hearing, motor and cognitive challenges. to colleagues, clients or customers, or inquire about Police board member and city councillor Tom Jackson called the overview a “gem for our community” that needs to be aired to a wider audience. "There are systemic, societal injustices that are often invisible and we need more money for social resources.". If a caller reports a crime in progress, violence or a life-threatening situation, police can respond. But at its core it’s about shifting funding to social services that could better help people and prevent the need for police. “There was no call for statistics on excessive use of force, nor percentage of calls involving mental health crises.”. The police board is reviewing what that cut would look like, though members have also said they don't think it's a good idea. Chad Collins, who put forward the motion, said he thinks defunding the police is “nonsensical” and would lead to fewer officers on the streets, which would effectively “neuter the police.”. The defunding movement has also trained a spotlight on how police respond to crisis calls, maintaining those situations are best left to mental-health professionals. The ways that our laws are designed and the courts operate, they “overwhelmingly and disproportionately target Black, Indigenous and people of colour,” Joseph said. This copy is for your personal non-commercial use only. Earlier Thursday, the grieving friends and family of Jason Peterson — a 42-year-old man police shot dead three weeks ago — issued a plea for answers during a news conference outside city hall. Coun. Rather, it’s about reallocating parts of the police budget into housing, eduction, health and social development to address Hamilton’s “Code Red” crisis, which is an ongoing Spectator investigation that shows strong ties in the city’s neighbourhoods between levels of health and levels of wealth. All the officers of the old police service were laid off, but were asked if they wanted to go to the new service. All “We believe it’s possible to deeply invest in crisis prevention and intervention without criminalizing mental health and addictions,” Nann said. The motion to examine what a 20 per cent funding cut would mean came at the same meeting where the police board and Chief Eric Girt apologized for “inadequate” preparation for the 2019 Pride festival that ended with violent clashes. Exploring budget cuts — to prove it won’t work.
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