Re-Funding Health and Detasking the Police: Chloe Brown Campaign Releases "A Healthy, Safe City for All" Plan

Pledge to Rationalize Security Spend with $330 million diversion to housing, services, campuses of care 

TORONTO, June 8, 2023 /CNW/ - After years of austerity and burgeoning police presence, our city feels less safe than ever. Toronto does not need more policing, it needs more care. Today, the Chloe Brown for Mayor campaign released its budgetary plan to make the city safer by addressing the root causes of violence, the impact of its consequences, and a plan to address the devastation wrought on communities by both increased random violence and overpolicing.

"As advanced polls open today, our city feels increasing alienated from itself: community is stifled and suffering for so many working class residents and people in poverty. My plan will reduce the friction and aggression that can develop when unmet needs and enforcement are combined, the state we find ourselves in now after devastating austerity. We do not need to increase taxes to do this. We do need to detaskify the police from activities that are not its core social role and value."

The plan includes:

Campuses of Care - Workforce Housing Strategy

• Combining workforce housing with fire, police, and paramedic stations. Locating these services in central areas of the community provides convenient access to transportation, amenities, and services for workers.
• Implement a "Campus of Care" model inspired by the Kōban concept, originated in Japan and credited in part with the country's low crime rate, where small "police boxes" staffed by officers, paramedics and other professionals serve the community and provide primary emergency response.

Paramedicine Investments for Crisis Management

• Having a permanent presence of emergency service providers in the community can enhance safety and provide a sense of security for residents.
• Building workforce housing on top of transit, police and paramedic facilities can further strengthen the safety of the community by ensuring that service and emergency personnel are always close at hand.

Court Services and Justice Centres

• An overhaul of Court Services and introducing Justice centers will offer access to mental health counseling, addiction treatment, and social assistance. They will aim to address the underlying issues contributing to crime, promote rehabilitation, and break cycles of offending. These entities will collaborate with community stakeholders to create safe transitions from homelessness, poverty, and mental health and addiction issues.
• Strategies such as violence intervention and prevention, employment programs, and education and skills training will be implemented to provide alternatives to criminal activity and improve social and economic opportunities for at-risk youth and adults. 

"My plan will immediately start to reduce the social friction that leads to crime and rationalizes police presence in the city along with other, more appropriate forms of emergency response. It's time we brought some care and love back into the management of this city and stopped investing primarily in outcomes not root causes. My plan reverses that unsustainable trend," said Brown.

For a complete overview please visit https://chloebrown.ca/policy-community

ABOUT CHLOE BROWN: The third place finisher in Toronto's 2018 mayoral race, generating 34,821 votes on a $1950 budget, Chloe Brown is a visionary policy analyst running again for Mayor in 2023 on a platform of community, connectivity and commerce. Renowned for her debate performances, her policy chops and her TikTok presence, Chloe leads one of the most diverse, independent teams in the campaign and her policy vision on everything from community land trusts to properly aligned police budgets make her the most exciting candidate in decades. Learn, volunteer, donate and support at chloebrown.ca #mycandidatehasvision

SOURCE Chloe Brown for Mayor

MEDIA CONTACT: Jen Evans, 4163463262, [email protected]