CCA’s Anti-Racism Working Group Meeting on Thursday, November 26, 2020 @ 6:30pm via Zoom. Contact anti-racism@centretowncitizens.ca for Zoom details.

Description

CCA’s Anti-Racism Working Group Meeting on Thursday, November 26, 2020 @ 6:30pm via Zoom. 
Contact anti-racism@centretowncitizens.ca for Zoom details.

Agenda

• Looking forward to hearing your opinions and coming to an agreement on what actions you would like to take in regards to the approval of the Ottawa Police Service Budget earlier this week .
• In light of the events this past week, we see this as a starting point for discussion:

Be it resolved that the Centretown Community Association Anti-Racism Working Group:

1. Supports the proposal by City Councillors Catherine McKenney and Shawn Menard to reduce by 50% the proposed increase to the 2021 Ottawa Police Services budget and the redirection of those funds to Ottawa Public Health and other social service agencies to deal with the crisis in homelessness, addictions and mental health;
2. Calls for the development of an alternative civilian emergency response model for Ottawa to reduce the need and frequency for a response by Ottawa police to every 911 call for assistance;
3. Demands action to increase the oversight and accountability of police officers including independent investigations by civilian authorities of complaints against the police.

Furthermore, the ARWG calls on the CCA Board of Directors to endorse this motion.

Also, Emily R. sends the following message to the group as a FYI:

Indigenous Solidarity Ottawa is promoting an outreach campaign that I thought may be of interest to this group. Specifically, the organization is encouraging individuals to write to their Ottawa city Councillors asking them to reject proposed budget increases to the police service. A template email is available: https://cp-ep.org/defundpolice/

Brenda Knight and Natale Dankotuwage
Co-Chairs of CCA Anti-Racism Working Group
Centretown Community Association