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CCMF Systemic Racism Public Hearing Follow-Up Public Letter

7/16/2020

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His Worship Mayor Naheed Nenshi and The City of Calgary Councillors,

Thank you for hosting the public hearing on systemic racism on July 7 - 9, 2020. Although discussing racism is often uncomfortable, painful and re-traumatizing, we greatly appreciate the attention paid to this critical conversation and are awaiting the next steps.

​Our team watched the recording of the hearing, in addition the livestream, and went through the written submissions to provide you with data based on the speakers’ stories. Please note these are initial estimates based on both the livestream and written submissions. In the graph below, the number represents the total number of people who stated their concerns during their presentation, as well as the percentage of times the concerns were mentioned.
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As illustrated in the graphs above, an overwhelming number of participants had concerns about systemic racism in the Calgary Police Service. There were also specific key issues mentioned within each broad concern, including:
  • Police (concerns expressed by 62% of participants): defunding; reallocation of funds and roles to social services; police brutality; lack of trust in policing from BIPOC community; racial bias from members; training; lack of Black, Indigenous and peoples of colour (BIPOC) representation in leadership roles; Eliminating School Resource Officers (SROs) etc.
  • Municipal (concerns expressed by 55% of participants): need for anti-racism legislation for all City services; TRC calls to action; lack of funding for BIPOC social services, grassroots and arts organizations; hiring practices at the City and local businesses; lack of BIPOC representation at small businesses; lack of consulting with BIPOC community; lack of anti-racism training at all levels of municipal government; inaction and lack of accountability and consequences for acts of individual racism; neighbourhood segregation; affordable housing, transit, city planning; internal staff experience with racism, CFD etc.
  • Schools (concerns expressed by 48% of participants): whitewashing and erasure of BIPOC cultures in curriculum; lack of training and resources to teach anti-racism; racism committed by teachers; lack of representation amongst school staff; inequitable funding in various parts of the city; presence of Eliminating School Resource Officers; racial bullying etc.
  • Workplace & Employment (concerns expressed by 45% of participants): hiring practices; lack of BIPOC representation at leadership and board levels; discrimination at work; tokenism; lack of anti-racism training; poor quality of existing anti-racism training; lack of opportunities in racialized communities; biases against names and accents; using diversity & inclusion and multiculturalism as a solution to systemic racism; questioning City’s role in improving workplace racism etc. 
  • Healthcare (concerns expressed by 29% of participants): treatment of Indigenous & Black People; lack of BIPOC representation & cultural competency amongst staff; lack of opportunity and access to jobs for BIPOC; COVID-19 racism; lack of mental health support for BIPOC
  • Accessibility (concerns expressed by 9% of participants): anti-racism hearing process not accessibility to BIPOC community, felt rushed and not genuine; lack of BIPOC interpreters; technology and format very dated; lack of consideration for accommodating schedules because it prevented people from attending hearing due to shift work, inability to miss work because of finances, etc. 
  • Other concerns mentioned multiple times: lack of race-based data; media bias; follow-through on actions by City Council; need for measurable action
If you would like further details on the above data or more information, please do not hesitate to contact us. Again, thank you for beginning to address systemic racism in our city.

Sincerely,
Canadian Cultural Mosaic Foundation

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#DefundCPS

7/12/2020

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Watch Above the Law documentary
Did you know that Calgary police officers shot and killed more people in 2018 than any other city in Canada? Alarmingly, this was also more than in either Chicago or New York, the two largest police departments in the US.
This is not just an American problem.

This past week, Calgary City Council heard from over 150 Black, Indigenous and people of colour (BIPOC) who detailed countless incidents of abuse, mistreatment and discrimination at the hands of Calgary police. The trauma caused by law enforcement was undeniable on their faces and in their voices as they courageously shared their stories in hopes of meaningful change.

Above the Law is a new documentary on CBC that examines three cases of police violence in Calgary. The film clearly illustrates how Calgary Police have both taken and ruined the lives of so many Calgarians. This has a wide-reaching impact on not just their loved ones, but their communities as well.

We know that police brutality disproportionately impacts the BIPOC community. Yet, Calgary police are not mandated to collect race-based data which significantly limits their accountability. Their budget is nearly 10 times that of social services and affordable housing combined, despite the fact that these types of programs are proven to address the root causes of crime more effectively and humanely. It’s also more cost-effective, enabling your tax dollars to be reallocated to other important services.
​

Of the 15,963 contacts with the public recorded by Calgary police in 2018:
  •  27% were related to vulnerable persons (e.g. people experiencing homelessness, mental health challenges, etc.);
  • 45% were related to disorder (unruly behaviour); and
  • only 3% were related to weapons.

Police are not trauma counsellors, social workers or mental health practitioners. We’re recommending The City puts out a request for proposals from the BIPOC community for culturally specific social services that can address the root causes of crime related to homelessness, mental health and poverty. A percentage of the Calgary police budget should be reallocated to the selected proposal(s).

YOU can help make Calgary safer for not just the BIPOC community, but all Calgarians who’ve experienced police brutality. Share this documentary with the hashtag #DefundCPS to spread the word so that the defunding movement in Calgary is unignorable.
DefundCPS by Canadian Cultural Mosaic Foundation
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Let's Talk Defunding the Police in Canadian context

7/6/2020

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In 2018, 72% of interactions with Calgary Police were related to disorder (unruly behaviour) and/or vulnerable persons. Another 16% were related to drug use. This means that almost 90% of interactions with Calgary Police are directly related to social issues such as homelessness, poverty, mental health challenges and substance use disorders – often a result of untreated trauma.
Police officers are trained to deal with violence and danger to the public. They are not trained to be trauma counsellors or social workers. Policing is not a preventative measure but rather a reaction to a crime that has already been committed.
Black and Indigenous people are disproportionately targeted and impacted by the justice system, including policing. Many don’t feel safe calling police when they’re in danger because the police represent a greater threat to their safety, and possibly their lives.
   Read more:
Defunding The Police Will Save Black And Indigenous Lives In Canada
The long, difficult history between RCMP and Indigenous peoples
​

​Did you know: Calgary police officers were responsible for five fatal shootings in 2018 — more than the Toronto, Vancouver, Ottawa, Winnipeg and Edmonton police combined, and more than either the New York or Chicago Police departments. Despite this, Alberta’s police watchdog, the Alberta Serious Incident Response Team, has never charged a Calgary police officer in a fatal shooting.
Where did the phrase “defund the police” come from?
The concept of defunding police originated with Black activists and can be found as far back as the 1960s. It has gained momentum and credibility today as smartphone cameras and social media have exposed police brutality to a wider audience.
   Read more:
Perspective on History - Defund the Police

Did you know? In 2020 Calgary spent more than $8 million just on replacing police cars -- nearly half of the entire affordable housing budget. ​

What does it mean?
Defunding police means reallocating a percentage of that funding to social services that address the root causes of crime, like education, mental health supports, affordable housing, youth programs, accessible transit and employment opportunities.
​

The majority of Calgarians’ tax dollars go towards policing – the single largest line item in the City’s budget at $401 million – while affordable housing and social services receive a measly $42 million. Calgary Police have little accountability as City Council doesn’t require them to specify exactly what they are spending that money on. Police budgets should be capped and transparent so citizens know exactly what their tax dollars are spent on. Government should be involved in deciding what the money is spent on to increase accountability.
   Read more: Defunding the police in a Canadian context (E-Learning Resource)
Why is it important?
Policing is a foundational example of systemic racism in Canada, meaning that the policies, practices and procedures carried out by police lead to disproportionately negative outcomes for BIPOC. We cannot claim to be a free and equitable society when BIPOC are constantly at risk of brutalization at the hands of those they pay taxes to for protection.
​

Experiencing mental illness, homelessness, poverty and trauma are not crimes. And, if we are truly innocent before proven guilty, using a counterfeit bill should not be a death sentence.
Government-mandated collection of race-based data in policing is essential to ensure that police are held accountable for effective and equitable crime prevention.
   Read more:
Shielding' race-based data in policing allows for wilful ignorance of systemic racism, prof says (2020)
Black and Indigenous Canadians are significantly more likely to be killed by cops than white people, according to recent data (2020)
Will defunding the police really work?​
Yes. Alternative response services already exist in many parts of the world, like Oregon, California and the United Kingdom. Crises are responded to by trained, demilitarized professionals with expertise in de-escalation and compassion so there isn’t fear of further violence.

Calgary already has several (currently underfunded) programs that provide successful and cost-effective alternatives to policing, such as:
  • Alpha House’s DOAP Team, which significantly decreases ticketing and incarceration of vulnerable persons while avoiding unnecessary interactions with police and other city services.
  • Calgary John Howard Society (CJHS)’s crime prevention programming, such as caseworker and peer support for people living with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (the symptoms of which make individuals more susceptible to criminal behaviour). In 2018, close to 80% of clients in this program had no new justice system involvement.

​Permanent supportive housing provided by Alpha House, CJHS and other agencies funded by the Calgary Homeless Foundation (CHF).
CHF found that this type of housing decreases interactions with police by 72%,days spent in jail by 84% and court appearances by 59%.
   Did you know? The City of Edmonton has already voted to redirect $11 million of the police budget to community services.

​Read more:
The answer to police violence is not 'reform'. It's defunding. Here's why


Calgary police's new HR head resigns months into the job after struggles to implement reforms tackling bullying, harassment and gender discrimination
(2018)


Systemic issues created 'dark struggle' in Calgary Police Service: former chief (2019)
Former Edmonton cop Derek Huff reported brutality, corruption and was ostracized from the service (2013)
How can I help advocate for my tax dollars to be reallocated away from police?
Support, participate and donate to defunding movements in your city. 

​
Email or call your local politicians to ask them to:
  • Defund police and reallocate resources to social services instead
  • Collect race-based data on policing and provide regular reports to taxpayers
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Defunding the police by Canadian Cultural Mosaic Foundation
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