Petition to defund police disputed by mayor, chief
REGINA Although city council approved an increase to the Regina Police Service’s (RPS) budget last December, the issue of police funding is front and centre once again in light of a new petition that demands the RPS be defunded.
The petition, which as of Monday had approximately 2,300 signatures, demands that police halt all hiring, strip police of their guns, and for city council to never vote for another budget increase for the RPS.
The petition comes as part of a global dialogue currently underway around policing following the death of George Floyd, who died after being pinned to the ground by a police officer in Minneapolis.
Calls to “defund the police” have been heard across North America in the wake of the deaths of Floyd and others.
Some are calling for some police spending to be used instead for community organizations fighting the roots of crime; others have called for the outright disbanding of police departments as we know them.
The RPS was allocated approximately $96 million in the city’s 2020 budget, a $3.6-million increase.
City hall was not receptive to the notion of defunding the RPS.
Mayor Michael Fougere, who is also the chair of the board of police commissioners, acknowledged there are societal issues police respond to which need to be addressed.
However, the mayor said simply cutting funding to police is not the solution.
“But to solve the problem today, we simply take money away from the police service and go somewhere else?
“We’ll do a disservice to keeping a safe community, but also providing the kind of city that we want to have,” said Fougere.
Fougere said issues frequently referred to as root causes of crime, such as homelessness, mental health and addictions, are not solely within the purview of the city.
Tackling them requires partnerships with other levels of government.
Chief Evan Bray said part of the motivation for such petitions comes from a desire for police accountability, and reiterated that he is in favour of a civilian oversight body.
Bray agreed with the idea that there are other services that can respond to calls involving societal issues such as addictions and mental health, but argued there is still a strong need for a police service, saying it shouldn’t be an “either or” conversation.
“Our crime rate and our crime per capita in Saskatchewan and in Regina is one of the highest in Canada. And yes, it goes right back to those social justice issues that I’ve talked about, but that presence and that need for our police officers to be able to do this meaningful work in our community is not going to go away,” said Bray.
Bray said the RPS is receiving adequate funding, but its resources have not kept pace with the growth of the city.
Michelle Stewart, an associate professor at the University of Regina and local activist, said there is more of a need for police oversight than larger budgets.
“Funds that pay for tanks and tactical equipment can be reallocated to change how we bring about enhanced supports, safety and accountability in our city. We have far too many examples in our city of injustice in police practices. It is time for independent oversight and accountability and that does not come about through increased police budgets,” said Stewart.
Ward 1 city councillor Barbara Young, who also sits on the board of police commissioners, said she understands there are social issues that need to be addressed in the community, but does not agree with cutting funding to police.
“If we were to cut that budget, we can’t cut the part that goes to the homicides and works on drug trafficking and are the first responders in this community. So the only thing that would be cut would be the community policing part of it, and that would be a shame,” said Young.
Ward 3 councillor Andrew Stevens, who voted against the recent funding increase, doesn’t think the city is ready for the abolition of its police force, but said the petition raises an important concern.
“I don’t think we’re investing the right amount where we should be if we’re genuinely concerned about dealing with the causes of crime in Regina or the province generally,” said Stevens.
In December, Stevens brought forward a motion that argued community safety is not just a responsibility of the RPS, and encouraged the city to address the root causes of crime.