A lot of the discussion over the weekend has been taken up by the “defund/abolish” police narratives that have been part of the Black Lives Matter protests, both in the US and Canada, and while it’s not literally abolish or defunding police (thread here, also a good op-ed by Calumn Marsh here) – which doesn’t actually help their cause when it simply invites kneejerk reactions – I just wanted to offer a word of caution that a lot of these goals with this movement are things that cannot happen overnight. Building the kind of capacity for other social service agencies to take over the work that we have foisted upon police because we didn’t want to pay for them elsewhere will mean that it will take years before any kind of shift can possibly happen, it also makes other assumptions about the state of the current mental healthcare system (thread here), for example, that may not reflect reality. Another bit of context here is that American police are often poorly educated and trained, which is less often the case in Canada, so calls for reductions in salaries as part of this radically reformed force make me wonder if we may be doing more of a disservice to the ultimate goals, where you would want people more likely to have some critical thinking skills and able to better execute judgment. So while it’s a noble idea, we should be cautious about putting carts before horses.

https://twitter.com/EmmMacfarlane/status/1269643795286687744

I don’t know how to say this, but as someone who has spent time in a psychiatric ward, fellow white people suggesting that “mental health professionals” always respond to mental health crises in compassionate ways is … a lot. People within the system brutalize, coerce & oppress

— Anne Thériault (@anne_theriault) June 6, 2020

Meanwhile, here’s a look at how the RCMP has not been responding to reports or investigations made by its Civilian Review and Complaints Commission, and how at least one has been waiting for responses since 2013. And yes, this is the same complaints commission that the government wants to add CBSA to its mandate (which I will remind you will only mean that CBSA will continue to investigate itself and simply report to this body).

With this in mind, here is Philippe Lagassé with some thoughts on what “civilian control” of the police could or possibly should look like.

https://twitter.com/PhilippeLagasse/status/1269268004325507073

https://twitter.com/PhilippeLagasse/status/1269289824869126147

https://twitter.com/PhilippeLagasse/status/1269292825000148993

Good reads:

• Bardish Chagger, the minister of diversity, says that conversations around systemic racism and policing need to happen (and it’s in her mandate letter).
• Harjit Sajjan recounts his experiences with racism in the Canadian Forces.
• An investigation is being launched into allegations that the RCMMP assaulted a First Nations chief in northern Alberta over expired licence plates.
• The military has been called to another long-term care facility in Ontario.
• The government has signed a sole-source $105 million contract with Bombardier for two new Challenger jets to replace two in our fleet that are now obsolete.
• The federal government (rather irresponsibly) continues to argue it has no “positive obligation” to repatriate Canadian children in Syrian prison camps.
• Here’s a longread about how the pandemic interrupted the anger of Western alienation, and how it may soon come rushing back.
• Heather Scoffield castigates governments for not being able to get child care right as the economy starts to reopen, hugely disadvantaging women in the workforce.

Odds and ends:

My latest Loonie Politics video looks at how we’re still lacking independent oversight for CBSA, as they are back in the news again over the past couple of weeks.

Hey tweeps! Want to read #UnbrokenMachine while you’re social distancing? Here’s your chance to get it at 25% off. https://t.co/PpC4ovVe7S

— Dale Smith (@journo_dale) March 23, 2020

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