Hamilton police are exploring cutting some of their budget
- Craig Clark
- 12 Jun 2020
Hampton’s police board discussed what slashing 20 per cent of their budget would look like during a virtual meeting on Thursday.
Police services decided to implement an exploration into the budget changes only to prove to residents that the police need all of their budget because people are requesting greater police presence in certain neighbourboods.
The board endorsed a motion from Councillor Chad Collins to explore the service implications of cutting $34 million from the $171 million police budget.
Hamilton’s police board will explore what a 20 per cent budget cut would look like — but only to show why it won’t work #HamOnthttps://t.co/DROvh97rci pic.twitter.com/iQw8FPAQAC
— Hamilton Spectator (@TheSpec) June 12, 2020
The motion comes as a response to the growing activism across North America and a call to defund the police during ongoing protests against anti-Black racism and police brutality.
Local activists said that they would continue to push to defund and demilitarize the police in order to protect marginalized residents.
However, Collins only put forward the motion to show residents how cuts to the local police budget will reduce public safety and so “they know the consequences of what they’re asking for.”
In some neighbourhoods, representatives said that they had requests for greater police presence and would happily take the extra resources.
Organizer of the local defund coalition, Sabriena Dahab, said in a report by the Hamilton Spectator that the reactions in Thursday’s meeting ignored the voices of those who have been harmed by police.
The police board received various messages from residents suggesting changes such as body cameras for officers, demilitarizing police, and not sending armed officers for wellness checks.
Dahab urges residents to contact local politicians and join protests to show the importance of defunding police services in the interest of public safety.
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