Thread by @jeffsamsonow

Edmonton City Council is back and digging into the giant motion before them, on community safety and police budgets. You can follow along live on YouTube: #yegcc #blmyeg

This is the motion. And all of its many amendments. edmonton.ca/city_governmen… #yegcc

Before getting to all these amendments... I've noticed that police speaking to #yegcc admit systemic racism exists but only in more general ways. There's not as much direct accountability or such for individuals. They're focus more on corporate-style changes, but within system.

The Police Chief also repeated that EPS should lead changes in community safety. Which is not what people from communities are asking for. That's going to be a huge conflict. And it's also going to hit at how city council wants to spend money in our neighbourhoods. #yegcc

First amendment, from Councillor McKeen. It asks the EPS to use the existing 2018 report on street checks and carding to figure out what needs to change. That's now part of the main motion. #yegcc

Next amendment, from McKeen, is to NOT hold a public hearing or inquiry on street checks and carding. Talks about the emotional toll of those who just appeared at this public hearing. This passes, no hearing coming. #yegcc #blmyeg

Amendment from Councillor Walters, to have the mayor ask the Police Commission for analysis on militarization, both tactics and equipment, and how it's required for community safety. Also asks for paths to de-militarize and implications. Some Qs coming on this one. #yegcc

Nickel asks the Chief: Do you think the EPS is militarized? The Chief again doesn't seem to get where folks are coming from on this idea of militarization. #yegcc

Councillor Nickel now questioning Walters about what militarization means. Walters: armoured vehicles, equipment not used day-to-day but only for "extreme" situations police have mentioned. #yegcc

Councillor Henderson: EPS changed the colour of uniforms, colour of vehicles (to black) - makes police seem more threatening - can be seen as deliberate militarization.

Police Commission Chair and Chief have talked about the need to separate people/actions from equipment when talking about para-military influence. Chair also notes it's a police *service* not force, and that's a choice. #yegcc

I would not have thought the obvious militarization of police was going to be so confusing to folks leading our city.

Police Chief says there's a Director of Law Enforcement for the province who decides on equipment police use. Chief doesn't want to talk about equipment use in a public forum, but would talk about uniform colour, Commission Chair would consider talking officer approaches. #yegcc

Councillor Banga: The motion makes it seem like we know the definition of militarization, but we're not clear on it. This snapshot from Wikipedia makes it pretty obvious though, EPS does/has a bunch of this. #yegcc

And it is obviously worth the Police Commission exploring how much EPS is militarized, or not, and what could change. To just disagree on definitions and walk away is not a response to the calls from community to do something about this. #yegcc #blmyeg

Police Chief: "We don't have any equipment in Edmonton that any other major city doesn't have." And if we can agree that militarization happens in even some other cities, that's kind of the point to look into this, isn't it? #yegcc

Motion to explore militarization of EPS is withdrawn. Councillor Walters says he may try to add this to another amendment. #yegcc

Councillor Esslinger's amendment, to have City admin analyze bylaws often used under "pretense policing" and whether or not clarification, revision or repeal is needed. This is stuff like loitering, jaywalking, riding a bike on the sidewalk. Can lead to racial profiling. #yegcc

Police Chief seems ok with this one. Says it's not a good idea to put more people into the justice system than needed, or spend $40,000 on someone getting a $100 ticket. #yegcc

Councillor Caterina asking about *not* enforcing bylaws. City council expects police to enforce bylaws it puts in place. Discussion is that perhaps enforcement needs some wiggle room, or maybe some of them could be tweaked. #yegcc

The Mayor says that "Real or perceived, there's a degree of harassment" to enforcing some bylaws. Examples include transit fares, biking in sidewalks, jaywalking. "Is this a good use of people's time?" Is there a better systemic answer, like a bus pass, bike lanes? #yegcc

Quick sidenote: Across the city, the Edmonton Public School Board is keeping police in schools while it does its first review of the program in 40+ years. Watch #abed and #espb for details on that systemic racism and white inaction.

https://twitter.com/cspotweet/status/1278084126315175936?s=20

That amendment about bylaws is carried and now part of the main motion on community safety and policing. This would ask the City to explore if some bylaws end up targeting and criminalizing people from oppressed communities. #yegcc

Now talking about something really substantial - an actual budget number. Councillor Cartmell had proposed a $16M cut to the 2021 police budget, but the Chief kept saying he'd like no more than $11M and now that's what Cartmell wants to change it to. (About a 4% cut BTW) #yegcc

Sounds like Councillor Knack is going to accept $11M as part of the full motion, which he's the mover of. Not for nothing, but a 3% cut to next year's police budget is hardly going to bring transformative change thousands of people are asking for. #yegcc #blmyeg

The Chief thinks EPS can lose $11M and manage to keep things about the same as they are now. Umm... Does city council really not see the problem here? The Chief warned about "not just shifting money" from the police budget, and they're clearly buying in. #yegcc

Councillor Hamilton - silent during 5 days of public hearings - speaks now to reduce potential police budget cut to $11M. She's trying to help out Councillor Nickel who had to hang up and call back, but this is a bold return to the conversation. #yegcc #blmyeg

Chief telling Councillor Hamilton that reducing the police budget slows down change, diversity and moving forward on changes to community safety. They're both talking about unintended consequences if the police budget is cut "too much". #yegcc

Councillor Banga asking the Chief what gets cut if next year's budget is reduced. Chief says it slows progress in cyber crimes, strategic plans and goals, community safety and wellbeing, but that they may be able to hold together progress with $11M cut. #yegcc

Wait, the Chief is talking about how reductions may actually be in relation to the previous increase of $75M from city council. So... I think the bottom line so far is city council isn't going to move substantial money from police to other community safety initiatives. #yegcc

Councillor Knack talking with the Police Chief about what we're really looking at for the 2021 police budget. It's either an INCREASE of $8M or $10.5M. Wow. There's a lot of government funding math here, but I'd say De-funding. Ain't. Gonna. Happen. #yegcc

Councilor Paquette now asking the Police Chief if even a $16M cut gets close to what the community was asking for. Reductions of $75M were mentioned, since that's the top-up over the life of the current budget and, of course, 30% because of social/health calls. #yegcc

Paquette asks if this will look bad to people who "spilled their guts to us". Chief: No. "We were committed to this change way before this became an issue. We're fully committed. We've taken new things and added to that change, but we're ahead of this and marching on." #yegcc

The Police Chief said that money wasn't going to create change and Paquette left it there but I think you could tell he was about to ask something like why police, then, need all the money they keep getting. Definitely the most tense Q+As are between these two. #yegcc

Councillor Henderson picking up on Paquette's questioning and the Chief snaps back at one point that just throwing money at social agencies won't help. He's repeatedly firm on not shifting any police money to other community responses. #yegcc

The Mayor looking to add specificity to this budget-related amendment, including supportive housing and social service responses that can reduce police calls for service.
"The call wasn’t to de-fund [police] and not spend the money, but de-fund and re-direct." #yegcc

Councillor Banga: Until we figure out exactly how to spend the re-directed money, can we really do anything? Here's the "perfect is the enemy of good" argument that often keeps folks from acting, because, hey, it's just not quite right yet. #yegcc

The Mayor clarifies to the councillor that they're talking about 2021 money, so there is plenty of time to decide how to spend it. It won't just sit un-used. Budget adjustments are next coming up this fall, which is when city council can direct spending. #yegcc

Councillor Banga is confused. Won't support this amendment that cites an actual budget cut.

Mayor's amendment passes, to be specific about where any re-directed police money could go (supportive housing, agencies that help reduce need for police, etc.). Next up, how much money are we actually talking about. #yegcc

To be clear, even if city council votes to consider a reduction in the police budget they still have to approve it in the fall during budget deliberations. This would only put together a plan on what else the money could be spent on. #yegcc

Also to be clear, some councillors don't understand the distinction from the previous tweet. Voting against this means they don't even want to *see* what else a small amount of the police budget could be spent on. #yegcc

Councillor Hamilton says she's conscious council heard overwhelmingly to re-direct much more police funding, but council needs the data on how and where spending can help. And that's why council needs to explore how $16M/$11M could be used in community response. #yegcc

Politicians on both this city council and the Edmonton Public School Board fail to understand this isn't just regular old budget or policy amendments. 15,000 people protested. 12,000 emailed. They need to respond in new ways. #yegcc #epsb #blmyeg

Councillor Paquette saying that the question that needs to be asked is how public money can best be spent to reduce the need for police and improve the safety and well-being of those in our communities. Today offers council a chance to begin that work. #yegcc

Councillor Caterina saying that these aren't recommendations from EPS or the Police Commission, just arbitrary city council numbers. He's not in favour of voting to explore any amount of police spending on social agencies before knowing what that looks like. #yegcc

This sounds good, but without a number how will you know what you're going to do? Council already says it wants to do a, b, c without money attached all of the time. And a, b, c never get done. Attach some real numbers.

Councillor Cartmell saying that city council needs to know how much money is in the entire community safety and social service ecosystem before they can talk about re-directing any money from police budgets. #yegcc

I should have been counting votes while councillors were talking, but when they vote to explore putting a tiny amount of policing money to social services, it's going to be a tight vote. Like, way tighter than the massive public response should make this. #yegcc

Will city council explore what $16M of police money could do if spent on social services? Nope.
How about $11M? Yup. It took a long time to get there, but that's your potential de-funding number. #yegcc #blmyeg

If city council carries through this fall on using that $11M for social services, the reduction in policing budgets is spread over two years. So, $5.5M cuts in 2021 and 2022. Basically a 1% cut to police budgets as previously proposed. So, no de-funding to EPS. #yegcc #blmyeg

Overall amendment with the $11M budget number attached passes and is now part of the main motion. But that's going to do it for city council today. They'll have to pick up the remaining amendments and the motion itself at a later date. Likely Thursday.