The brutal evictions of unhoused people initiated by Halifax police on August 18 are slowly disappearing from the headlines, and from the general public’s minds. Thankfully, the push back continues.
Last week Councillor Lindell Smith, the current chair of the Board of Police Commissioners, told the Chronicle Herald that the Board can do very little about the horrible evictions of unhoused people by Halifax police on August 18. Thankfully, Smith is wrong.
The Nova Scotia Policing Policy Working Group (NS PPWG) strongly condemns the actions of the Halifax Regional Police yesterday in evicting people living in local parks.
Press release: The Nova Scotia Policing Policy Working Group is deeply concerned by some of the claims that representatives of Halifax Regional Police, including Chief Dan Kinsella, made yesterday in their presentation to the Board of Police Commissioners regarding the implementation of body-worn cameras (BWCs) across the police force.
On September 8, 2020, the NS PPWG circulated a questionnaire to all declared mayoral and Council candidates running in the upcoming election. The questionnaire asked 13 substantive questions related to policing in HRM.
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 second letter in as many days from the NS POlicing Policy Working Group, about a motion introduced a last minute definition of defunding that is incorrect and misleading.
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.