Regional councillors share views on police defunding

WATERLOO REGION — Activists in the Black Lives Matter movement are calling for police to be defunded and the money redirected to programs and services that help marginalized communities.

The Waterloo Regional Police budget is overseen by the police board and goes to council for approval. But councillors do not have input on expenditures.

The Record polled regional councillors for their thoughts on police defunding. The three councillors on the police board — Karen Redman, Shandy Shantz and Karl Kiefer — were asked one question as they directly control the budget. The other 13 were asked a similar question. Answers have been edited for print. Full versions are posted online.

Are you going to take action on police defunding? If so, how will you go about it? Regional Chair Karen Redman

The Region of Waterloo believes the specific demands referenced by the Black community provide an opportunity that needs to be followed by action. We realize any action taken will not speak to all concerns, and there are many issues and obstacles that reinforce systemic racism.

We agree change is needed. But these are changes that affect the entire community and, if progressive change is to come, it will require support of the entire community. This means we must engage in meaningful conversation with everyone. The region, along with the Waterloo Regional Police Service, looks forward to meeting, speaking and engaging in conversation with individuals and community groups to action such change.

Mayor Sandy Shantz, Woolwich

I look forward to discussions with the African and Caribbean Canadian community in Waterloo Region and also with other community groups to understand from them how to best provide the resources needed to protect and serve our residents. When we have had those discussions, we can make an informed decision on how we might better allocate the necessary finances.

Karl Kiefer, Cambridge

I believe regional council and the WRPS board are committed to taking action and making changes. The WRPS board has directed Chief Larkin to come back to the board with a report on actionable changes. This report will include possible reallocation of funds. We must engage and listen to people and organizations who are demanding change happen. As a regional councillor and a member of the WRPS board, I am committed to listen, participate in active dialogue, and bring forward change.

Will you advocate for police defunding? Elizabeth Clarke, Kitchener

I believe chronic underfunding of preventive and supportive services, including homelessness and mental health services, has resulted in police performing interventions they’re not properly equipped or best suited to do. I believe the money that’s spent doing this work would be better invested in programs that support vulnerable people, including Black and Indigenous individuals and communities.

I’ll therefore advocate for a critical evaluation of all police activities, with the goal of ending activities police should not be performing, and shifting the spending to community-based organizations and groups that should. I’ll advocate provincially for the adequate funding of a 24-hour, 365-days-per-year outreach program to respond to people in the community experiencing mental health crises.

Mayor Sue Foxton, North Dumfries

It would be easy to support something I have no power to change or make a difference. It would seem false, I could state I support police defunding but that is a half truth which has little to no meaning. I will say what I have been saying for years, we need to change policing. We ask our police to do everything from noise complaints to dealing with murders, terrorists, etc. There has to be a better way and a few years back I was hopeful to see that change but it did not happen. My constituents want a greater police presence. No one wants police violence. We need to deal with the real issues and take those issues to the legislative body that has the power to make the changes.

Helen Jowett, Cambridge

The Provincial Police Act prohibits council from operational interference. This being said, we do have three councillors representing us on the police board who I trust completely to represent council and our community.

As a regional councillor, I will commit to listening with great empathy and understanding so that we may balance community safety and make real change that will help heal our entire community and rid us of systemic racism. I will commit to action wherever possible toward this need to be better.

Mayor Joe Nowak, Wellesley

I would not support reducing our budget for police services. I am especially concerned about the suggestion to eliminate the police presence at schools. I saw first-hand how appreciative and how well the students interacted with our rural officer. The officer attended a student dance last year on my request after some offensive and threatening graffiti was posted on our school walls. This officer not only provided a sense of security for the students and organizers, he also demonstrated a positive role model for the students in the way he connected with the children.

Geoff Lorentz, Kitchener

I have read the statements from our Chief Bryan Larkin and have spoken to him as well. I have known Bryan since he was a new recruit and have the utmost respect for him and his integrity. I also feel our police services board is made of good people from this community, who work hard to make good decisions. I have known Regional Chair Redman for many years and I believe in her leadership abilities as chair of the Police Services Board.

This issue is one that needs to be resolved through mutual understanding and dialogue over the next few months. I believe regional council is prepared to do that.

Tom Galloway, Kitchener

I am willing to consider ‘defunding’ police, not in a punitive sense but in a much needed rationalization of services. Police are not the best primary response to many types of calls such as mental health, domestics, etc. By default, police have become the 24-7 go-to. But we need to go further to reallocate resources to needed social development programs that will actually reduce calls for service.

We need to move the needle from the ultra expensive and ineffective Tough on Crime agenda to the Smart on Crime agenda. At the same time, the expensive and ineffective courts and corrections systems need the same review. The research is clear: reallocating (defunding) resources to social development programs will improve outcomes for racialized and other marginalized communities not just in criminal justice but in health and education as well.

Sean Strickland, Waterloo

I have long been an advocate for the greater use of nonpolice trained employees on our local police service and in the past few years the Chief has responded and publicly stated it makes sense to hire civilians to do “non essential” police type work (administration, traffic, call centres) and free officers to focus on preventing and solving crimes. I support the continued and accelerated redeployment of police funds to a service model where more professionals including counsellors, mental health workers and street workers deliver services to our community where there is little or no threat to public safety.

Mayor Dave Jaworsky, Waterloo

Over decades through policy, we have relied on police to be our prime 24-7 resource for most everything. We now have highly trained policing personnel on the front-lines for calls related to mental health, homelessness and addiction. These are societal issues, not crimes. These are national and provincial issues, not local anomalies.

At the same time, we can’t overlook the 300,000 service calls to police per year. If they do not have the capacity to respond to our calls, then who will? We need to build the capacity of upstream organizations that are well-equipped to handle these societal challenges to help our fellow citizens appropriately.

Michael Harris, Kitchener

Away and unable to provide a response.

Mayor Kathryn McGarry, Cambridge

As a community, we have limited resources — financial and others. We agree it is time to take a critical look at how those resources are distributed overall. The police budget is one part of the equation — but we believe a much larger discussion is needed with our many community partners who are engaged with social development about how more funding can help advance this work. Increased public awareness about the need for more funding for social development will help open up meaningful community discussion and ultimately lead to action.

We need greater support and funding for more preventive and upstream solutions and more focus on building an inclusive community foundation that supports equity, safety and well-being. At the same time, the community needs to feel safe and part of that is policing.

Jim Erb, Waterloo

Recent events have heightened anxiety around the world regarding the relationship between people of colour, members of our Indigenous community, other minorities and policing in our communities, and Waterloo Region is not immune. These events provide another wake up call for the need to build an inclusive community where all are treated equal and with respect.

The police service budget has been set for 2020, however given the reaction by the community to recent events, my expectation will be that when WRPS present their budget request to council for 2021 funding, we should expect to see changes as to how they allocate resources and opportunities to redirect some of their funding to other services in the community which are being identified. I will encourage my council colleagues on the Police Service Board that as the 2021 budget is being drafted, we use the opportunity to engage in a meaningful conversation that will begin to address some of the challenges we face.

Mayor Berry Vrbanovic, Kitchener

I have always been a strong supporter, both in the council chamber and in my community work, of the need for additional upstream investment in all areas that would provide much needed supports in our community. I agree policing is not best equipped to support individuals with issues such as mental health, tenuous housing, and a variety of other social issues. However, policing will still need to deal with criminal issues such as violent crime, organized crime, human trafficking and others. I fully support exploring alternative funding models, together with our federal and provincial partners, which would best serve our entire community.

Mayor Les Armstrong, Wilmot

I would not support defunding the police. Having been a police officer, I understand the changes that have occurred since I left the service. The police have had a much larger and wider workload added to their portfolio.

I would say there are things that need change to keep up with the times. But reducing the funding would only handcuff the police and endanger the public. If it is decided to change some of the current responsibilities, it will allow them to concentrate on the fighting of crime.