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pfi.ROCKS Opinion!
Can a Mayor be Impeached or Arrested?
If not, why not and what can we do about it?
20201209 12:01 p.m. Photograph of City of Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson from www.ottawa.ca/en/city-hall/mayor-and-city-councillors SAQOTU Inc.
(20201209 12:15) This morning I listened to the meeting of Ottawa’s City Councillors because I was interested in how they would vote on the budget proposed by Chair Diane Deans of the Ottawa Police Services (“OPS”) Board while they were all in possession of evidence of multiple crimes committed against my children and me by multiple OPS detectives and officers.
At approximately 10:40 a.m. on December 9, 2020, despite significant evidence of crime being committed by OPS Detectives and Officers with reckless abandon at his disposal, Ottawa Major Jim Watson stated that City Councillors should support the budget approved by the Ottawa Police Services Board.
Diane Deans (10:56) The work that this budget supports will improve confidence in OPS and re-establish trust. (11:00) Support the OPS budget.
(Insert OPS Chief Sloly’s statements later.)
Keith Egli (11:03) Can we transfer $1.2M out of OPS budget to Transportation Committee (Red-light Camera Revenue)
Jeff Leiper (11:05) I am not supporting this budget. OPS is claiming it can address socio-economic pressures which it is has been incapable of addressing for decades. Why would we rob the partners whom ARE equipped to address addiction, mental health and other societal issues?
Rawlson King (11:09) I am not supporting the OPS budget. More consultation is necessary. Not just financial support is required to repair the community’s trust of Ottawa’s [corrupt] police force; underlying support from the anticipated beneficiaries of any proposed OPS “transformations” is also required.
Theresa Kavanagh (11:13) I am supporting the OPS budget. Many within our community are TERRIFIED of the police and this needs to change.
Matthieu Fleury (11:15) I first would like to recognize the leadership of new OPS Chief Sloly. We have other priorities that need funding, especially given the challenges of COVID-19. I will be voting against the OPS budget, primarily, because it included an increase when funds are needed elsewhere.
Shawn Menard (11:18) Police budget has TRIPLED over X years. There is more merit in re-allocation of budget NOW than at ANY time in our City’s . Criminalization of being indigenous, being addicted, [being homeless] OPS is not hiring 30 new officers, it is back-filling those who retire etcetera and will be adding 80 new officers. We need fundamental change.
12:57 Mayor advises all City Councillors to vote AGAINST the McKenney-King Motion:
- $5M for Housing: No = 16 , Yes = 8
- $5M for Community Funding*: No = 16 , Yes = 7
- $3.2M for Gender Equity*, (insert additional benefiaries): No = 16 , Yes = 7
*Councillor Egli could not vote for item 2 and 3 due to potential conflict of interest.
(Mayor Watson reminds me of Amazon: https://twb.rocks/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/05an-Draft-201907-Amazon-article-that-I-posted-on-LinkedIn-before-being-arrested.pdf
Catherine McKenney (11:21) I will not be supporting the OPS’s requested $13.2M increase in budget. I could not with clear conscious approve this when my residents are in crisis and/or want significant change in how our community addresses poverty, mental illness and addictions. Giving OPS more money will do NOTHING in a city that has growing chasms of inequity. I will support the amendment of re-allocating $1.2M to the Transportation Committee regarding the Red-light Camera revenue.
Keith Egli (11:23) This is not a vote about money: this is a vote about trust. Most recently, the break up of the street protest SHOULD NOT have happened. We have a broken system. It needs to be fixed and Chief Sloly has an opportunity to fix it as quickly and as responsibly as possible.
Rick Chiarelli (11:26) I am supporting the OPS Budget and I will not support the amendment. Gang-related shootings … (audio cut out for about 30 seconds). We cannot ask for law enforcement and then de-fund it. We need to have faith in Chief Sloly and Chair Deans. We are not experts and are in no position to tell the Chief how to do policing. Let’s follow the laws of Ontario and let the OPS protect us all from gang violence.
Riley Brockington (11:30) Thank you to Chief Sloly and Chair Deans. I will be supporting the OPS budget. I do believe that policing needs to change as it is too reactive. It needs to SERVE and protect, not just protect.
If we remove $1.2M as per the amendment, how will OPS absorb that loss of funds.
Chief Sloly “The mental health strategy, de-escalation training, anti-racism training, VAW training, etcetera would take the hit.”
So, you are saying that what the community has asked for the most is what you would cut?
[“Gulp.”]
?Eli El-Chantiry? (11:35) I cannot understand a mentality that wants to de-fund the police. Colleagues, let’s support the OPS budget. Who else can we call at 3:00 a.m. when someone is having a mental health crisis? We should demand a police officer in every high school. We have a golden opportunity to let the Chief know that we want to work with him.
George Darouze (11:42) We will support you and your budget.
Scott Moffatt (11:43) Keeping funds with the police is a smart choice. I support the OPS budget and I do not support the amendment.
Diane Deans (11:48) I have been thinking a lot about the term “de-fund the police”. For some [whom have been terrorized by them] it means tear it down and for others it means improve the service. We need to appreciate OPS officers whom are under a lot of pressure and often put themselves in harm’s way. Trust in police has eroded and we do need to find more socially-sensitive ways to address issues such as mental health. Maybe later we can reduce police budget.
Jim Watson (11:51) There is little discretionary spending in a police budget; not much wiggle room. Accordingly, an cut would impact VAW issues which is what some of the City Councillors want: vote down Menard’s motion.
Vote on OPS Re-allocation of $1.2M to Transportation Committe: No = 18 , Yes = 6
Vote on OPS Budget with $13.2M increase: No = 5 , Yes = 19
“Mayor Jim Watson and every single councillor has received multiple e-mails from me regarding pleas for help for nearly two years.” DM / AJ
Letter hand-delivered (albeit mis-dated) to City Hall on February 21, 2020
“Mayor Jim Watson and every single councillor has knowledge, or ought to have knowledge, of that which has been done to my children, Sean and Cate, and me.” DM / AJ
Attached to the letter was an article linked to evidence against Ottawa’s Crown Attorney’s Office, viewable at: https://twb.rocks/living/exposes/00000008_differentiating-blind-justice-from-wilfull-blindness_saqotu-002/
20201209 @CaeJak Tweet sent to every Councillor before 8:00 a.m. this morning: Luloff, Dudas, Harder, Sudds, El-Chantiry, Glenn & Kavanash
20201209 @CaeJak Tweet sent to every Councillor before 8:00 a.m. this morning: Chiarelli, Egli, Deans, Tierney, King, McKenney
20201209 @CaeJak Tweet sent to every Councillor before 8:00 a.m. this morning: Leiper, Riley, Menard, Cloutier, Kitts, Darouze
20201209 @CaeJak Tweet sent to every Councillor before 8:00 a.m. this morning: Moffatt, Meehan, Hubley
20201209 @CaeJak 8:01 a.m. Tweet sent to Mayor Jim Watson