Black community group calls on Waterloo regional council to defund police, 'refund' community

The African, Caribbean and Black Network of Waterloo Region is asking regional councillors to defund police and "refund the community" during its annual budget talks.

On Wednesday, Waterloo Regional Police Service's board members will be asked to approve a $214-million operating budget for 2023, $14 million more than the 2022 budget. That would then need to be approved by Region of Waterloo council.

In an open letter posted to social media on Tuesday, the ACB Network said regional council should "invest in services that help close the gap between the rich and poor."

"In order to create a more equitable and just society, we call on councillors to reject the proposed increase to the police budget and invest the equivalent of funding requested for policing to close the 'dignity and opportunity gaps' that exist in our communities," the ACB Network said.

This would mean providing "meaningful support" to people in the community who are marginalized, the group says, including people who are living on low incomes, unsheltered, transgender, Two-Spirit, queer and Indigiqueer.

"We need real action, not just words, to create a safe and fair Waterloo region for everyone," the ACB Network said.

The areas where the funding could be better used, the group says, include:

• Transportation to make it more accessible and affordable.
• Intercultural community care services for Black, Indigenous and racialized communities such as community-led mental health support programs and transformative justice for youth at risk of criminalization.
• Inclusive and accessible housing and supportive housing.
• A Black cultural centre.

This is not the first time regional council has been asked to defund the police in Waterloo region. There were calls in June 2020 after an anti-racism protest in downtown Kitchener that followed the death of George Floyd in the United States.

Some community members spoke out about the police budget again in December 2021, ahead of the 2022 budget being finalized. Regional councillors ultimately approved the police budget for 2022, but also voted to establish an upstream initiative fund to help with crime prevention.

Police asking for $214M budget

The proposed budget for the Waterloo Regional Police Service asks for a $209.8-million base operating budget, and an additional $4.2 million to hire 19 officers.

"As a result, the proposed operating budget is $214,060,000 or a 9.35 per cent increase, which represents a tax impact of 7.22 per cent on the police portion of the regional property tax bill," a report going before the police services board on Wednesday says.

The report says the budget "makes critical investments in public safety across Waterloo region."

The report also notes the population in the region has "grown significantly" over the last 10 years, but the number of officers per capita in the community is "well below both provincial and national averages."

The police services board meeting Wednesday is scheduled to start at 10:30 a.m. ET.

For more stories about the experiences of Black Canadians — from anti-Black racism to success stories within the Black community — check out Being Black in Canada, a CBC project Black Canadians can be proud of. You can read more stories here.