The anonymous group behind the ‘Defund SSM Police’ online petition is breaking that anonymity in hopes that it can start a grassroots movement in Sault Ste. Marie.
Mitchell Harris and Alec Pachareva - both political science students at Algoma University - have come forward as the authors of the petition, which has garnered more than 2,200 signatures since it went online last week. The pair now wants to recruit people who are willing to help them in their bid to turn that petition into policy at the municipal level.
“We did not think the petition would get more than a few dozen signatures amongst our classmates at Algoma University,” said Pachareva, reading from a prepared statement in downtown Sault Ste. Marie Tuesday. “But now, one week later, the petition has been signed by over 2,100 people, and it receives more signatures every hour."
"We have received an overwhelming amount of support for this initiative, and we also feel responsible to bring in members of the community who can help us take what we have, and turn it into real political action."
The online petition is calling on The City of Sault Ste. Marie to transfer 10 per cent of the Sault Ste. Marie Police Service budget to Social Service Sault Ste. Marie District - part and parcel of a much larger, worldwide movement to ‘defund’ police and fund social services.
“The city will give $10 million more dollars to the police than social services in 2020, and there are a number of expensive services that are currently being provided by police which could be better provided by other professionals who are trained and equipped to deliver these services instead,” said Harris, during Tuesday’s availability to local media. “That’s why I think, when you hear the words ‘defund the police,’ you should also think, ‘fund social services, fund mental health services, fund addiction treatment.’ Expanding social services leads to an overall safer community, and that’s what this petition is about to me - not making us less safe, but more safe."
When the petition was launched last week, Dr. Paulette Steeves, an assistant history professor and Tier II Canada Research Chair in Healing and Reconciliation at Algoma University, spoke in support of the global ‘defund police’ movement on behalf of the petition's authors.
“There is so much evidence behind this petition that when you fund social services and you fund mental health and addictions, crime rates are reduced,” she told reporters Tuesday. “So I think one thing they’re supported by is there is a lot of data, there are a lot of reports that state these types of initiatives have had a lot of success in some communities, even big cities, in reducing the crime rates.”
“So I think it’s really important for people to listen to them. I know there’s a lot of [mis]understanding around the term ‘defund the police’ - perhaps it should be more ‘refund the police’ - but there’s no denying that in many communities, the budget for police is far, far greater than the budget for social services and mental health and addictions, and there’s no denying those areas are in dire need of support, and of change.”
The creators of the petition are now calling on the public to join the ‘Defund SSM Police’ movement, and have launched a website in hopes of recruiting people.
Harris and Pachareva say they’ve had conversations with social services, police and two city councillors about the petition so far.
Sault Ste. Marie Mayor Christian Provenzano has even offered up a meeting with the pair.
But Harris and Pachareva say they want to build the movement up by recruiting more community members before having a meeting with the mayor.
“We think this is a moment we can use right now to promote this petition, to make it move forward,” said Harris. “It was time to identify ourselves. We are happy to remain organizers, but not the public face of this.”
“But we do need help, and that’s why we’re here today.”