Belleville will hold a community forum aimed at hearing from people seeking to discuss police funding and how police deal with matters of mental health and addictions.
Councillor Chris Malette introduced the motion to hold such a forum at Monday’s city council meeting.
Malettte told council he’d been receiving messages from the public about defunding police but the budget is a matter of provincial legislation not council.
He indicated there is a need to hear from police and mental health workers how to bring this about.
He feels council “owes it to the people and vulnerable people in the community to have this dialogue.”
Councillor Kelly McCaw is a member of the Belleville Police Services Board.
McCaw told council, “The police are already collaborating on these issues and noted the public members involved are calling for a 10% cut but there’s nothing to cut in the police budget.”
Belleville Councillor Sean Kelly, July 27, 2020 (Photo: Mary Thomas/Quinte News)
Councillor Sean Kelly says he sees the homeless and the vulnerable, and police need more support in dealing with them.
“When you see females and males living on the street they are somebody’s son and daughter. We really have to do this. Too many take their lives. It hurts me every day.”
Councillor McCaw was critical of emails she has received from the group seeking a forum.
She read from one of those. “I’m calling for a reduction of 10% as well as a cut in the police capital budget. The very concept of policing was to establish and protect the interests of the wealthy. If you choose to believe defunding doesn’t apply to Belleville, that racism and prejudice isn’t a problem here – you choose defenselessness over accountability.”
She added that many of the people aren’t residents of Belleville.
Councillor Paul Carr applauded the motion, indicating he has spent 24 years in the justice system and sees the issues.
Mayor Mitch Panciuk told council the issue had been raised at the Mayors’ Caucus.
He said they agree there needs to be a change in the Provincial Police Act.
He said the most emails he gets are on police defunding.
“There is a sheer level of anger by people,” he added.
Council supported the motion.
