Two Toronto Councillors Want To Slash The Police Department's Funding
Toronto’s police force may face budget cuts in the next few months. Councillor Josh Matlow announced on Monday that a new motion to defund Toronto police will be discussed at city council. This comes after widespread calls to defund police forces have been heard across Canada and the U.S.
On Monday, Matlow announced via Twitter that he would be pushing to reduce Toronto's police budget by 10%.
"We've seen citizens peacefully protesting police brutality met with grievous and indefensible displays of police brutality in cities across America," Matlow argued in the introduction of his new release.
Councillor Kristyn Wong-Tam is also supporting the motion. The two are asking for a reported total budget cut of $122 million, reports the Toronto Star.
The motion will be brought up during June's city council meeting which is set to take place on June 29 and 30.
The initiative is calling upon city staff to use the money to invest in community support, such as programs to help at-risk youth, anti-racism education, and affordable housing.
"If approved, the actions contained in this motion would be a significant step towards providing equity for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color," he adds.
The motion is one of many steps being taken by the city in the wake of the widespread protests.
Mayor John Tory announced on June 8 that the city's police officers could be wearing body cameras by the end of the summer.
The move comes after over 100,000 people have signed a petition calling for the investment in these recording devices.
Protestors were also seen flooding the streets this weekend to speak out against racism and police brutality.
On Friday, "I can't breathe" was echoed through downtown Toronto as hundreds of demonstrators gathered together.
The chant echoes the last words of George Floyd, whose life was cut short by Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin.