Ford Is Spending $25M To Hire Hundreds Of Cops Amid Calls To Defund The Police
Ontario will soon have more OPP cops in the field. Premier Doug Ford announced on Thursday, August 20, during his daily media briefing, that Ontario is hiring more police officers and it's going to cost the province $25 million.
According to a government release, the decison followed recommendations made by an independent report looking at mental health and stress within the police force.
It comes amidst continued calls to defund the police from activists across the province, due to an alleged trend of anti-black racism.
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Our government is putting more boots on the ground.
A recent study by the Ontario Human Rights Commission showed that Toronto Police officers are more likely to stop, arrest, charge, and harm black residents. This summer, the Toronto Board of Health deemed anti-black racism a public health crisis.
Premier Ford says that the OPP "is working to promote inclusion and diversity" within the force and that the newly hired officers would go to neighbourhoods in greatest need.
He added: "As we help communities recover from the impacts of COVID-19 ... our government is putting more boots on the ground to crack down on the criminals who would rob families and individuals of the chance to rebuild their lives during this very difficult period."