WPS inches toward budget uptick

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This article was published 10/12/2020 (2116 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Despite calls to slash its funding by 10 per cent or more, the Winnipeg Police Service has moved one step closer to a budget increase.

The Winnipeg Police Board voted Thursday to increase funding to $301 million in 2021, up from $294 million this year, as proposed in the city’s preliminary budget. The change still requires full council approval.

Delegates who wanted the WPS budget cut said the city would be better off diverting cash from police toward community services and grants.

“Defund the police, invest in transit, invest in active transportation,” said presenter Daniel Friesen.

“I am asking the Winnipeg Police Board to require Winnipeg police to hold 10 per cent of their budget in reserve this year, so it can be returned as a surplus and reinvested into community services and supports.”

He also called for WPS to freeze hiring and not replace officers who retire.

Other delegates argued increasing the budget is equivalent to ignoring the large protests and petitions this year that called to defund city police.

“Thousands of Winnipeggers marched peacefully to demand change. None of that concern seems to have registered with city council,” said Cam Scott, an organizer with Police-Free Schools Winnipeg.

WPS Chief Danny Smyth told reporters losing access to 10 per cent of the service’s funding would result in major staff cuts and service changes.

“That would mean significant elimination of big sections of the police service… We’re talking anywhere in the neighbourhood of 200 to 300 officers that would be immediately eliminated. That would mean the elimination of the cadet program, because that’s tied in together. It would mean a collapse of most of the units,” said Smyth.

Delegates also argued for social workers and others trained in crisis response to replace police on some calls, such as well-being checks.

However, Smyth said, those professionals sometimes ask police to join them when they do such work.

“In many instances, they don’t feel safe going in to the environment or situation that they’re in and they actually call us to come with them to ensure their safety. That happens far more often than people think,” he said.

The WPS chief noted the City of Winnipeg is currently studying how to pair police and crisis crisis workers to answer some non-urgent calls, such as those linked to mental health issues, intoxication, missing persons, and disturbances. A city report notes such crisis workers could include social workers, nurses, mental health professionals and/or paramedics.

Coun. Markus Chambers, chairman of the Winnipeg Police Board, said he believes the 2021 funding increase is needed to provide the resources to ensure public safety.

“We have to consider, as our city grows and as our needs grow, the calls for service continue to rise,” said Chambers.

joyanne.pursaga@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @joyanne_pursaga