Please log in to listen to this story. Because the Toronto Police Services Board, and not council, determines the force’s budget, the motion had to be written as a request rather than a directive.

“The board chair is really a figurehead position. Toronto city council has passed a motion seeking reform of the city's police department, but rejected a cut to the force's budget. The motion written by Josh Matlow and seconded Kristyn Wong-Tam to change the police budget through an amendment in the provincial Police Services Act. Lately, however, as he’s helmed both city council and the city police board through a pandemic and widespread calls to cut police funding, it’s been more difficult to find much logic in the structure of it all. The Halifax board relies on guidance from lawyers representing the city and the police force. Right now it is time to be serious in addressing our government elected officials that are currently resting on their racist laurels and say Not Another Black Life, Not Another Indigenous Life, and Not Another Racialized Life.

When Vancouver City Council requested a 1-per-cent cut to the police budget in May – to make up for pandemic-related shortfalls, not because of anti-racism protests – the police board derided the proposal and accused council of overstepping its authority. By law, boards have power over policy but not day-to-day operations at the police forces they oversee. City Council approves changes to policing in Toronto. The rest of the budget, however, is largely up to the chief.

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"Despite this, Council would rather cut emergency services than revisit its recent decisions to massively boost the public art, bike lane and communications budgets, to make a few examples.". To further dilute council influence, Mr. Stewart is required to sit as chair of the police board, meaning he can’t vote (except as a tie-breaker) or table motions. When the city council voted last month to cut the police service’s budget by $11-million, Chief McFee avoided the usual budget showdown and uttered something to local media virtually unheard of from a chief facing a funding cut: “This actually could be a very good thing that could actually save a lot of money for the citizens of Edmonton and, more importantly, give better outcomes for the people that actually need the services.”, With reports from Molly Hayes and Tom Cardoso. The motion asks that when the police makes its budget … Readers can also interact with The Globe on Facebook and Twitter . [your email address will go here] [your location will go here], [1] https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/1745-9133.12412; https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/blogs/stateline/2020/... Thank you for your patience. [12] https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/07/us/minneapolis-police-abolish.html. That same report, however, warns that the board is prohibited both from making arbitrary cuts to the police budget and from reducing the number of officers such that adequate and effective policing would be compromised. Audio for this article is not available at this time. As our ancestors fought for the abolition of slavery, we fight for the abolition of the prison industrial complex... and we will win. The limited authority Toronto City Council has over its police budget came to the fore in June, when Councillors Josh Matlow and Kristyn Wong-Tam tabled a motion to reallocate at least 10 per cent of the city police force’s $1.2-billion budget toward anti-racism education, community-led alternatives to policing, child care, food security and affordable housing. We hold the power. This is a space where subscribers can engage with each other and Globe staff. Mark Villani “There is a bit of a conflict there.”. His removal comes as Ward 8 Councillor Evan Woolley is set to introduce a motion to council calling for five per cent of the police budget to be reallocated over the next two years — $10 million in both 2021 and 2022. Farkas adds that Calgary has seen a population growth and therefore a resurgence in organized crime and social disorder driven by economic hardship. Two city councillors in Toronto are pushing for a 10 percent reduction in the police force’s budget in 2021 as tensions continue over police violence and racism, reports the Toronto Star. “It’s a short hop, skip and a jump from budget to operations,” said Kent Roach, a professor of law at the University of Toronto who wrote a paper on police governance for the 2007 Ipperwash Inquiry Report, which examined the circumstances surrounding the police shooting of Indigenous protester Dudley George in 1995. Matthew Bingley reports. Toronto City Council will be tackling the issue of defunding the police in their virtual meeting on Monday. Toronto city council has passed a motion seeking reform of the city's police department, but rejected a cut to the force's budget. Halifax councillors get discretion over the force’s capital spending. The motion, seconded by Kristyn Wong-Tam (Ward 13 Toronto Centre), comes as council members are being inundated with demands from residents to defund the police. Change is coming. [3] https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/dec/10/toronto-black-residents-mo... Every province and territory has its legislative quirks when it comes to governing police, but most carry a common theme that has been a tenet of local politics since before Confederation: Those who enforce the law must be independent from political interference. Jeromy Farkas appears in his video announcing his candidacy for Calgary's 2021 mayoral race (file), Use of this Website assumes acceptance of Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy, Published Monday, November 2, 2020 7:40AM MST, Last Updated Monday, November 2, 2020 8:41AM MST, Winter storm watches in place throughout southern Alberta, Calgary councillors look to reallocate part of police budget, focus in on mental health, Jeromy Farkas announces intention to run for Calgary mayor in 2021, Albertans struggling to make home payments, Fort MacLeod ready for its closeup in new film, Province removes user fee for treatment centres, Web weather watch: Cold and snowy Saturday, Kenney announces more guidelines as Alta.

“We have very little power compared to our cousins in the U.S.,” Mr. Stevens said. “But it’s a powerless motion because the board has the power to strike it. The limited authority Toronto City Council has over its police budget came to the fore in June, when Councillors Josh Matlow and Kristyn Wong-Tam tabled a … Toronto City Council will be tackling the issue of defunding the police in their virtual meeting on Monday. Toronto city council has voted against a motion seeking to cut the 2021 Toronto police budget by 10 per cent. Welcome to The Globe and Mail’s comment community. Pakistan Canada Association Centre in Calgary vandalized and robbed. 2:03 2 Toronto city councilors push to defund the police WATCH ABOVE: Two city councilors are pushing to defund the Toronto Police Service and …