50 signatures reached
To: Mayor Olivia Chow
Tell Toronto Council: No More Waste - Freeze Police Budgets
Toronto Councillors and Mayor Chow: don't let fearmongering drive you to make a wasteful mistake. Freeze Toronto Police spending at current levels and invest in public safety measures with demonstrated impact instead.
Why is this important?
The Toronto Police Department is the single largest line item in the city budget - and they've asked for another large increase this year.
But a recently concluded 10 year study of Toronto and other Canadian police forces thoroughly demonstrated that there is *no* correlation between police spending and reductions in crime. [1]
In other words: spending more money on policing is not an effective way to address public safety concerns.
Instead, Council should make investment in programs proven to enhance public safety by tackling the causes of crime - poverty, isolation, lack of opportunity - instead of the symptoms. Even leading police officers admit that this is a more effective approach. [2]
Toronto is facing a budget crunch as it is. We can't afford to waste money on interventions that have been demonstrated not to work. Don't fall for the fearmongering and the slick PR. It's time to get real about crime by addressing the causes, instead of wasting money on symptomatic treatment.
No more police budget increases; put the money into programs that work.
Sources:
[1] Toronto Star: https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/police-spending-has-no-consistent-correlation-with-lower-crime-rates-new-canadian-study-says/article_eedff7f4-b3b9-11ee-81a9-ffea73dd6f71.html
[2] The Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2021/apr/18/tackle-poverty-and-inequality-to-reduce-says-police-chief