Halifax residents speak against budget increase for police they say 'failed' them

The vast majority of Halifax residents who spoke about this year's municipal police and RCMP budgets want the city's police board to reject any increases, saying they have lost trust in the forces and the money is better spent elsewhere.

On Wednesday evening, nearly 30 people weighed in on the Halifax Regional Police and Halifax RCMP budget requests at a virtual meeting of the board of police commissioners.

"Police forces continue to receive more funding, and are reassured that they are trying their best … we have yet to see continued increases in funding allocations to police leading to anything positive," said Natasha Hines, board chair of Wellness Within, a non-profit working for reproductive justice and prison abolition.

Most of the HRP's $101.2-million operating budget represents fixed costs the board can't control, like salaries and equipment, but the force is asking for seven new civilian employees costing about $462,300.

Halifax RCMP are asking for 14 new officers for new satellite offices in Beechville and Fall River, and an officer for the traffic unit this year, running about $2.6 million.

Like Hines, almost all of the speakers were specifically opposed to any increase in the police budgets.

City library worker Paxton Romana said they'd prefer the money go to transit, or to support the many homeless people they see every day. They said they make daily calls looking for shelter spaces as far away as New Glasgow, because Halifax locations are full.

"We've also had families leave the library because parents felt that their kids weren't safe with the police there, or they didn't trust the police not to hurt them, even in a library space," Romana said.

Many people said reports like the Mass Casualty Commission, and the city's report on defunding the police, highlighted the need for funds to go instead into community support — and that police were not the best option for mental health calls or dealing with people who are homeless.

Others pointed to last year's University of Toronto research that found no consistent connections between police funding and crime rates across 20 large municipalities.

Carrie Low, who has long argued HRP mishandled her 2018 sexual assault case, also spoke. Lawyers for the city said last year that Low's experience didn't follow best practices.

"More funding for police forces that have failed survivors, and our community, is harmful. It prioritizes power over accountability, eroding public trust," Low said.

She also questioned why funding for the HRP's sexual assault investigative unit was cut about $16,000 to come in at $1.5 million, down from $1.6 million in last year's budget.

Low said she's seen an "unwavering pro-police bias" on the city's police board over the past six years, and a disregard for public opinions that have regularly opposed budget increases.

Multiple speakers echoed Low's feelings of frustration that their arguments won't have any effect. 

A few said the recent election of commissioner Gavin Giles as the new chair has cost more trust in the board, given his comments in November 2023 that people speaking against the police budget made "nonsense and rubbish commentary designed only to titillate and annoy." 

"I want to hope for this board but I feel really frustrated, and that's what happens when you are repeatedly ignored and insulted," said Lou Campbell.

Many people spoke out against the city's proposal for an armoured police vehicle and questioned why it would be in the corporate fleet budget to be discussed by regional council later this year, and not in HRP's budget. 

Alan Joyce of Windsor Junction said he could understand the RCMP's request for a Fall River satellite office given the population growth in that area, but he wanted resources "overall" to be concentrated on supporting people who are homeless.

"I really don't see funding an ARV [armoured rescue vehicle]. I think that is just overkill," Joyce said.

Of the two speakers who didn't specifically oppose the budget increases, one man asked for more traffic resources after being struck by a car once on his bicycle and another time as a pedestrian.

Retired HRP officer Charles Naugle spoke about why an armoured vehicle is needed and emphasized it would be used in high-risk situations to protect officers and the public.

"There are many common high-powered hunting rifles that would make you wish you had more than a telephone pole, tree or cinder-block wall to protect you," Naugle said.

The police board will make a decision on both police budgets at a later date. They will then go to Halifax regional council for final approval, before the overall city budget is passed in April.