Our infatuation with policing has lead to using police to do things they shouldn’t be doing. Data from stats Canada shows that in the busiest month of 2020, 2/3rds of calls to police in Waterloo Region were either mental health calls or general welfare checks. #Reallocatewr

We are paying for a police officer, trained in enforcing the law, to respond to people's health/wellness. Not only is it a waste of money, it often has harmful consequences. Alternatives to police produce better outcomes.

The WRPS are giving mixed messages. On one hand they are telling us they are not the best response for many calls, on the other hand (since it's budget time) they are telling us the service is swamped. We can help with their busyness by reallocating calls to appropriate services

Guess what happens when we use police for things that we shouldn't be using police for? Crime goes up: "Evidence shows that overpolicing is more likely to increase crime rather than reduce it" ~ https://mcusercontent.com/de85a14a3dcadd8e377462ff6/files/1acb8a31-d2e9-464a-b826-d024cb61ed6f/Rethinking_Community_Safety_A_Step_Forward_For_Toronto_Full_Report.pdf

And, just a friendly reminder that while violent crime is up in Waterloo Region from last year, the overall crime rate is DOWN. And, if we trace crime rates through the past few decades they are WAY DOWN. Yet, our costs for policing are WAY UP. Something has to give.