(CFJC Today/File photo).

By Mel Rothenburger

ARMCHAIR MAYOR

ROTHENBURGER: Police need more funding than ever, not defunding

Mar 16, 2022 | 4:22 AM

‘DEFUND THE POLICE’ was the battle cry across North America in the wake of the death of George Floyd while in police custody almost two years ago.

Today, that slogan, and the sentiment behind it, is fortunately pretty much a thing of the past. The idea behind “defund the police” was that budget money for policing should be cut and used instead for social supports.

Theoretically, taking 10, 20 or 30 per cent or more of their budgets away from police and directing it toward things like mental health, drug addictions and housing would reduce the need for police, and everybody would be a lot happier.

Quite a few cities tried it, and they’re sorry they did. Minneapolis, where George Floyd was killed, was one of them. They soon found out it didn’t work, and reversed course.

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“Defund the police” never, thankfully, caught on in Kamloops. City council rejected the notion and continues to increase the policing budget every year. It remains the biggest line item in the City’s budget and now stretches well over $30 million.

According to RCMP, it still isn’t enough. A report to City council yesterday pointed out that Kamloops has fewer police per capita than Chilliwack, Nanaimo, Kelowna, or Prince George. To reach the national and B.C. average, Kamloops would have to add 45 officers, a 32 per cent jump.

The report also noted that Kamloops has a high crime rate compared to other B.C. municipalities with more than 15,000 people. Violent assaults, threats, and sex crimes are up.

In addition, says the report, calls for service for Kamloops homeless, mental health and substance-addicted populations have had “a significant impact on police resources.”

While efforts continue to remove police as the default responder for such calls, the bottom line is that defunding police is a non-starter. In tandem with expanding services such as Car 40, policing budgets in Kamloops will continue to rise, not fall.

I’m Mel Rothenburger, the Armchair Mayor.

Mel Rothenburger is a former mayor of Kamloops and a retired newspaper editor. He is a regular contributor to CFJC Today, publishes the ArmchairMayor.ca opinion website, and is a director on the Thompson-Nicola Regional District board. He can be reached at mrothenburger@armchairmayor.ca.

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Editor’s Note: This opinion piece reflects the views of its author and does not necessarily represent the views of CFJC Today or Pattison Media.