It’s time to talk about the police system in Canada
Setting the Convo
We know that the current police system does not equitably serve and protect all of us. This is true even if you have a loved one that is a cop, have previously had the privilege of calling the cops for help and being helped or might one day have to call them. Imagine if we all had our rights and freedoms upheld the way wealthy folk, in particular, wealthy white folk did? Imagine the sense of security and safety this would afford to BIPOC and low-income folk? We're not saying wealthy white people wouldn't be protected within this new system post-abolition, we're saying all of us would be afforded the same protections as a wealthy white person. Why is that idea so scary and uncomfortable? And no, we're not saying we should just let violent offenders run unchecked, we aren't saying that individual police officers are bad, we're just saying that all of us, in particular Black, Indigenous, People of Colour and low-income folk, deserve the same human rights, protections, safety and community services as a wealthy white person. The current policing system was not designed with protecting all of us in mind, so shouldn't we work towards creating a system that works to serve and protect us all?
The full scope
Defunding the police means reducing the amount of money that goes into those institutions and redistributing those funds to community services. This is based on the fundamental belief that policing systems are systems of oppression and the research that investing in community services reduces crime and improves overall well-being. But it's about more than just money. We need policies for:
Demilitarization: that means fewer SWAT teams, less violence, and a measured response to protests.
Disarmament: that means reducing the amount of weapons and surveillance equipment.
Decriminalization: that means decriminalizing minor offences to decrease street-level harassment and interactions between the police and various communities.
Retraining: that means tactically training police officers to respond to and de-escalate violent situations (e.g. mass shootings) that still take place.
Same shit, different news coverage
Many of us still frequently think of police violence as an American problem — We get stuck on that image of the "friendly" Canadian Mountie. But let's fact check:
Even though they only make up 4.1% of Canada's population, 30% of the country's prisoners are Indigenous.
In Montreal, Black and Indigenous folks are four to five times more likely to be stopped by the police. This is what racial profiling looks like.
In Montreal, a report found that young Arabs between 15 and 24 years of age are four times more likely to be stopped by police in street checks.
Between 2007 and 2017, Indigenous peoples represented one third* of people shot to death by RCMP police officers. The Ontario Human Rights Commission found that a Black person was more than 20* times more likely to be shot and killed by the police compared to a white person.
– Yellowhead Institute
Keep in mind that:
Indigenous Peoples make up 4.1% of the population
Black people make up 2.9% of the population
Police are expensive
$15.7 billion
That’s how much Canada spends on municipal, provincial, and federal police services.
That’s $42.9 million of Canadian taxpayer dollars a day. A DAY.
25%
Of Toronto’s taxpayer dollars go to funding the police.
This is about the same as what goes to public transport, the library, children services, and public health combined.
Redistribute the money
Research shows that investing in the community and minimizing the role of the criminal system reduces crime and improves overall well-being.
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Defunding in practice
It's not just a concept - it's already happening in Canada.
The City of Toronto invested $11 million into a pilot non-police alternative response program for mental health calls. The plan is to move beyond police as a default and have community-based nurses, harm-reduction workers, and others trained in de-escalation to better serve the needs of people in mental health crises— while still involving police in cases that involve potential violence.
Launching in early 2022 (soon!), the pilot program will also include a unit that's specifically dedicated to serving Indigenous communities.
With programs like this one, defunding the police doesn't have to be a theoretical conversation.
Defunding and Abolition
At its root, defunding the police is based on the firm belief that policing systems are systems of oppression. While defunding is an essential first step, the long-term solution is abolition. We know that sounds scary, but it's not, because ultimately abolition is a step necessary before we create a system and structure that serves and protects all of us.
Criminalization and incarceration further perpetuate the oppression of and violence against Black, Brown and low-income individuals rather than supporting these communities. They are imperialist systems that have justified generations of violence against marginalized groups on the basis of 'guilty' and 'innocent.'
Police and prisons won't disappear in a day. But defunding the police (including demilitarizing, disarming, decriminalizing and retraining) and re-investing in justice-centred services that reduce, prevent and better address harm and community needs are important steps in building a justice system for all.
We need a change. Now.
Yes, the police has been around for generations. It’s an institution that’s embedded into the core of our societies. But that doesn’t mean it shouldn’t change.
Instead of funding a system that responds to criminal activity, we can choose to invest in programs and initiatives that help us prevent violent crime, gender-based crime, hate crimes, and so much more.
Have your say.
Visit defund.ca for information on how to reach out to your representatives and demand that they reroute the funds that go to policing bodies.
Sources: defundthepolice.org, 8TOABOLISHION, Aljazeera, Wilfrid Laurier University, Defund.ca, CBC, CTV, YellowHead Institute, Ontario Human Rights Commission,
