We talk with Tari Ajadi, a member of the NS Policing Policy Working Group, about a proposal by Halifax Councillor Waye Mason to look into moving some tasks currently done by Halifax Regional Police to civilian services.
A motion at today’s Halifax Board of Police Commissioners meeting to appoint a community advisory committee to explore defunding the police was moved in camera. The question to ask is, who are the commissioners really working for?
On July 14, 2020, NS PPWG steering committee member El Jones was asked by Halifax Board of Police Commissioners (“HBPC,” “the Board”) Chair Natalie Borden to lead a committee for the purpose of recommending a definition of “defunding the police.”
n response, we proposed that we convene a committee to tender research and consultation on defunding the police in Halifax. We envision this process as being much broader than simply crafting a definition, as any definition that is not adequately supported by research and consultation will be of limited utility.
A complaint lodged by a Halifax couple who believe that they were racially profiled by Halifax Regional Police (HRP) hit a procedural hurdle at this morning’s Nova Scotia Police Review Board meeting. The issue had nothing to do with the complaints, and everything with HRP screwing up and not following due process. The disturbing part is that it may let the accused cops off the hook before the tribunal, scheduled to last two days, even gets started for real.
Press release: The Halifax Board of Police Commissioners is set to meet online today, in the midst of sustained local and national calls for the defunding and abolishing of police institutions. Abolish the Police – Halifax/Kjipuktuk is raising concern about a lack of meaningful action in the midst of ongoing police violence.
Letter to the Halifax Board of Police Commissioners by a recently formed coalition of groups and individuals interested in reforming policing in Nova Scotia. Among other things the group cautions against looking at body cams as an effective way to tackle police violence and call for public access to all HRP operational policies. They also ask that the Board engage in an extensive community consultation regarding systemic racism.
Raymond Sheppard with some things Halifax police must do now. “The chief of police, the mayor and Regional Council must halt negotiations with the police union until such time that the union stops advocating to keep officers who have committed racist acts.”
Members of the Halifax Board of Police Commissioners frequently point to the Marshall Inquiry and the resulting changes to the Police Act when challenged on their reluctance to tell Halifax Regional Police how to do their job. Today we fund out it isn’t that simple.
So far Halifax Regional Police (HRP) and RCMP are not pursuing the implementation of many of the recommendations called for in the Wortley report, a Freedom of Information request reveals.
The Halifax Police union isn’t happy with chief Dan Kinsella. Judy Haiven takes a closer look at police unions in Halifax and country-wide, who tend to unquestioningly defend police brutality.