Defund Police Campaign Can't Work in Ontario

Vincent J. Curtis

13 Aug 20

Today, the Spectator's editorial surpassed itself in infantilism.  The editors apparently hadn't read their own newspaper, and at times seemed unaware of what they had written a few paragraphs before.  The result was a kind of "can't we all just be friends" by capitulating to the Defund the Police movement.  At least, give them a change to whale away at Police Chief Eric Girt.  Maybe that'll satisfy them, and make it all go away.  The answer to this plea was found elsewhere in the newspaper.

It must have been bring your child to work day at the Spectator, so juvenile was the editorial.  The author(s), apparently, don’t even read their own damn newspaper. 

The editors seem to want Chief Eric Girt to appear before city council to explain the facts of life in policing Hamilton, Ontario.  Council is being deluged by an organized campaign to “defund the police.”  Purblind to the game being played, some on council and the editors wrongly think his appearance to answer questions would satisfy the complainants.

As reported by Teviah Moro, Chief Girt doesn’t work for city council; he works for the Hamilton Police Board.  The city is obliged to supply the police budget, and disputes between council and the board are resolved at the provincial level.  Broad policing policy is set at the provincial level and those policies are applied at the civic level by the local police.  A measure of local sensitivity is established through the composition of the Police Services Board, with three of its five members being city councillors, and another a civilian city appointment.  The Chair of the Board is the Mayor.

Hence, when the editorial calls for clear and open communications between the board and “local councillors elected to represent Hamiltonians”, what are you talking about?  The board is practically a subcommittee of council.

An assortment of Marxist, Anarchists, and fools are going to ask council to defund the police, impossible by provincial law.  There is no need for a policeman to attend this pantomime, except as security.

-30-