Police budget debate sparks more divisions at City Hall

After a motion passed to reallocate police funding, Councillor Jeromy Farkas called groups in favour ‘extremists’. Taylor Braat breaks down the heated debate in council and those speaking out about the word.

CALGARY (660 NEWS) — Months after protests filled the streets of Calgary, with thousands calling for governments to focus on anti-racism and reform police services, more action on these initiatives is happening inside City Hall.

Namely, Ward 8 Councillor Evan Woolley introduced a motion that will explore how to reallocate five per cent of the Calgary Police Service’s more than $400 million budget towards other community services, focusing on issues such as mental health, social disorder, and addictions.

At the end of the day, the motion passed by a vote of 9-5, so administration will look at options to be presented during budget discussions this month. But it was the debate that happened before the final vote that still gets a lot of attention.

Ward 11 Councillor Jeromy Farkas, among the councillors who eventually voted against the proposal, spoke in opposition during the meeting and referenced a column written by a Calgary police officer in a union magazine that slammed movements such as Black Lives Matter.

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“Clumsy and dangerous attempts to appease extremists will only serve to undermine safety, and set us back,” Farkas said.

This elicited an immediate reaction and point of privilege from Ward 3 Councillor Jyoti Gondek.

“I take offence to those remarks,” Gondek said, interrupting Farkas in the middle of his statement. “It’s a complete misrepresentation of what’s happening here.”

Gondek said Farkas should know better, as they both previously sat on the Calgary Police Commission where these budget reallocation discussions are also underway.

“No one is trying to appeal to extremist groups,” she added. “I will not tolerate that language, at all, in this chamber.”

Mayor Naheed Nenshi then gave Farkas an opportunity to explain the comments further or retract them.

“What did you mean by that statement? And if in fact, you will not withdraw it, then I am afraid I am going to have to cut off your mic,” Nenshi said.

“The statement stands on its own,” Farkas responded.

“Okay, then you’re done,” Nenshi said, and Farkas was not allowed to talk during the rest of the discussion.

When asked about what transpired in an interview with 660 NEWS, Farkas said there are no regrets.

“I stand by my comments,” he said.

Farkas said that he is in favour of more money getting to community groups, but doesn’t approve of this method.

“So, rather than spending on bike lanes, public art, communications, let’s use that money to front end these supports, rather than take it directly from the cops. Otherwise, for me, it’s sort of like scrapping a plane that is in mid-air for parts.”

Farkas added that this could end up preventing efforts to reform the service, and jeopardize safety.

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“Things like diversifying the force to improve the relationships with marginalized communities, things like implementing additional officer training, and furthering accountability through initiatives like body cameras.”

Gondek told 660 NEWS that Farkas’ reasoning is insufficient and believes he is purposely misconstruing what the whole debate is actually about.

“Perhaps if he had done the work to make sure that the Calgary Police Service and the City of Calgary are collaborating on providing preventative services, he wouldn’t have this view,” she said. “This is jockeying, it’s posturing, it’s politicizing every single decision that we make.”

She also said that despite Farkas’ allegations, there is more support for reallocation within the ranks as Chief Constable Mark Neufeld has said there are proposals coming from the CPS that will help fund community organizations while reducing calls to service for officers.

“I can tell you that those conversations have been taking place for six months, and the police service is incredibly interested in ensuring that partner organizations are adequately funded to be able to provide service members the support they need on very difficult calls.”

But overall, Gondek said she is not looking for Farkas to walk back on the comments now after the dust settled inside the council chambers.

“I’ve learned in this job that asking for apologies is fundamentally useless.”

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Adora Nwofor, President of Black Lives Matter Calgary, said the comments from Farkas are disappointing and there is a misunderstanding about the movement to reallocate police funds.

“These things we are asking for, they’re not only for Black people. Really, reallocation is to improve the entire city of Calgary, country, all of Turtle Island,” she said.

BLM YYC is also calling for even more of the budget to moved elsewhere, up to 30 per cent, and Nwofor looks forward to the discussions coming up at city hall.

“I’m open to see what other opportunities or ideas can be put on the table, if 30 per cent is absolutely a no go. There must be money for the citizens of Calgary.”

Finally, Nwofor said she would like to speak directly to Farkas about his views and thinks he would come to a realization.

“I feel like if I had a conversation with Councillor Farkas, he would see that I’m not an extremist,” she said. “I mean, it’s up to him to have those conversations, he is placing judgement on what he thinks the movement is.”

Farkas also was targeted for suggesting he had been “fired” from the police commission after his one-year term was up and he was not selected for a second term. A statement he issued was accused of being misleading about the process on how commission members are chosen.

Councillors Gian-Carlo Carra and George Chahal were instead chosen to replace the spots previously held by Farkas and Gondek. Gondek said she had chosen to not go up for another appointment after serving on the commission for three years.

This was also not the only argument to stem from the budget reallocation discussion, as Councillor Sean Chu is asking for the city’s Ethics Commissioner to investigate comments by Councillor Evan Woolley, who called Chu an “ignorant moron” on Twitter in response to Chu voting against the motion. 

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