Community Building Initiatives

In response to the call to action put out by the Black Lives Matter chapter in my city, I wrote a letter to my Councillor and our Mayor the other day. I received a response from my Councillor withing 24 hours and it was so off-point as to be laughable.

I wanted to share my letter here.

I will also post links to a tool that BLM Edmonton put together to make it easier to email your Councillor. Please keep the following in mind when sending template emails like this:
1) The organization you are trying to reach can set up filters with the subject so no one ever sees these messages.
2) I have heard rumours that Edmonton council in particular might not be accepting any of these form letters, because they are form letters (which is bullshit, but that's another story).

At any rate, here is my letter.

Good morning Mr. Nickel,

I am sure you are getting a few emails like this in your inbox this week, so I will try to keep mine short-ish and to the point.

As someone who recently moved into a neighbourhood in your Ward that experiences "higher than average" petty crime rates, I understand why the first reaction is to send more police in. Police are supposed to protect citizens. However, my experience tells me that more often than not they protect property, protect white citizens, but cannot appropriately address the long term community-building that we need to make our neighbourhoods safe and healthy for EVERYONE.

These community-building initiatives involve (but are not limited to):

- Affordable housing

- Accessible streets for pedestrians, cyclists, and especially people with mobility aids or other mobility restrictions

- Removing EPS officers from all schools

- Free public transportation

- Harm reduction services

- Food security initiatives

Community-based organizations already exist that can do so many of these things and more, but they are not given the resources. That is, they need money. And at this time especially, considering the added impacts and pressures COVD-19 is putting on them. Instead of increasing the EPS budget, I urge you to consider moving some of those precious funds to community-led organizations, and to invest in affordable housing, mental health programming, and making public transit free.

Increased police presence does not keep us safe. It does not build strong, resilient communities. And it puts Black, Indigenous, other racialized people and marginalized communities at risk for violence.

We have been presented with an amazing chance to turn the tide on racial violence, climate collapse, public health and safety, and move towards a truly just society. Edmonton is an amazing city, filled with smart, passionate people. But we are often failed by our leaders. Please do the right thing now and invest in community alternatives to policing.

Thank you for taking the time to think critically about this issue.

--

Take care,

Lisa Kercher

780-298-0654

(she/her)

I really want to post Mr. Nickel's non-response here, but I don't know the protocol on what is allowed to share of public servants' messages to private citizens. At any rate, I knew by the 4th word that he hadn't actually read my email.

That isn't to say that it wasn't important to send. I hope he gets THOUSANDS of messages like mine in his Inbox. I hope it gets clogged right up. The sheer numbers alone will show him that he is wrong about this. He is on the wrong side.

I will be sending another email tomorrow once I figure out what I want to say next.

xo Lisa

P.S. I always invite open discussion in good faith, but I will not debate racism.

FURTHER READING

Black Lives Matter YEG - Defund EPS Letter template

Black Lives Matter petition to divest Edmonton police funding gains steam (Edmonton Journal)

Bashir Mohamed - Edmonton's Anti-Black Racism Toolkit

To watch the Edmonton City Council public hearings on this topic you can visit their You Tube channel here. The presentation by speakers starts up again on Monday morning. (There are so many BIPOC reliving their trauma on here...the least us white folks can do is bear witness to it.)

And for more learning about police and prison abolition, Google is your friend my friend. But I can start by recommending the excellent writing of Angela Davis.