Halifax-based non-profit Wellness Within will be hosting a public seminar on police reform Thursday evening.
The seminar, titled Fighting to End Policing & Criminalization - Strategies for Resistance is part of the non-profit's annual general meeting.
Founder and chairwoman Martha Paynter says that addressing police reform and incarceration are key issues for the organization. “People are increasingly realizing that more policing does not keep them safe,” Paynter said.
“When we’re spending public dollars on policing, not getting those results, it means that we’re not putting that money in areas where we will see results,” she said.
The event will feature guest speaker Meenakshi Mannoe. She works as a campaigner for the Pivot Legal Society, a legal advocacy organization based in Vancouver that works to address criminalization and policing.
“When I think about ending criminalization, to me it’s about redirecting resources from systems that are used to punish people caught up in cycles of colonialism, racism and poverty,” Mannoe said.
For Mannoe, issues directly affecting women that stem from current policing practices are often overlooked.
“Women who face legal trouble for relying on public space, or police involvement with child welfare, I think these are great examples of how resources could be directed away from criminalization and into investing in helping them,” Manoe said.
“We’ve seen a 40 per cent increase in the incarceration of women,” Paynter said.
For Paynter, one of the biggest issues surrounding current police practices is the treatment of drug users. “I’m a registered nurse and a research scientist, I know that drugs and needing substances is a health issue,” Paynter said.
“Criminalizing it causes a lot more pain than we can ever justify,” Paynter said.
Both Mannoe and Paynter believe that the solution to police reform lies in redirecting funding away from systems that punish people, and shifting it into services that address poverty, racism, sexism, and other forms of inequality.
”We’re advocating for investment in the community, and recognizing the importance of providing people with access to the things they need, so they can live in safety and security,” Paynter said.
“Since the onset of COVID there’s been a proliferation of mutual aid,” Mannoe said. “I think that’s a great example of really localized efforts to actually build up and support people, a community-based crisis response.”
“People of various communities actually being the ones to respond when folks do need support, or when they need help with de-escalation,” Mannoe said.
The event will begin at 5 p.m., at the Wonder'neath Art Society at 2482 Maynard St. It can also be attended via Zoom.
