Defund VicPD

Right now the city’s draft budget includes a 7.28% property tax increase:

🚔 5.06% of the increase = what VicPD is demanding, and what the city is prepared to give them

🏙️ 2.22% of the increase = everything else in the city budget

#yyj #DefundVicPD

Wins & updates from budget discussions, March 3, 2026 On Tuesday, March 3, 2026 City Council discussed and voted on a number of budget issues. More to come soon, but here are some updates so far: Wins to celebrate Council has voted to reduce VicPD’s p…

Wins & updates from Victoria’s budget discussions, March 3, 2026: defundvicpd.org/2026/03/05/w... #yyj #defundVicPD

This is exactly the type of thing council should be doing, taking away $200k that would have gone to the police budget increase and funding rent supplements. Great! But as of now, the draft budget would still give VicPD 24 new officers (4 forced by the province) and an $11M budget lift to $90M. #yyj

Councillor Hammond hears from people daily that they want more police. I guess we need to email him more.

Loughton contd: Hearing consistent message from residents and neighbourhood associations with concerns that too much $ on symptoms of problem and not on the solutions. Our budget is heavily weighted to downstream right now, not enough on causes of crises.

Alto asks staff where we're at now.

Staff: Assuming the police number is confirmed and the math is correct, we are at 7.28% tax lift. Police portion is 5.06%, with City at 2.22%.

Now that Council's adjourned, I'll say here what I didn't say out loud: any criticism of what's being called the "defund the police" movement WITHOUT mentioning the murder of George Floyd as its catalyst is willful negligence on the part of anybody who has a public platform. Ahistorical bullshit.

Re-upping this to encourage people to flip back and forth between the images, so you can see how much more VicPD is redacting compared to just one year before. They are withholding far, far more information than they used to, making it increasingly hard to subject them to scrutiny through FOI. #yyj

Can’t stress enough that it’s actually extremely economically beneficial for everybody in a community if fewer people overdose and die

VicPD doesn’t want you to know they’re probably still hitting people with police cars — Needs More Spikes Is VicPD still using police cars to hit people? Probably, but VicPD’s increasing secrecy means we can’t know for sure.

“It serves VicPD’s interests, not the public’s, to release text justifying their officers’ actions, while not releasing any text about what they did.” #DefundVicPD #yyj www.needsmorespikes.com/blog/vicpd-s...

While VicPD asks for even more money, 98% of people oppose increase There’s been some movement around VicPD’s budget this week. First, the good news: Victoria council reported they heard from over 200 people who opposed VicPD’s budget increase. An overwhelming 98% …

VicPD asks for even more money, but 98% of submissions to the city oppose increase defundvicpd.org/2026/02/21/w... #yyj #deFundVicpd

Vancouver council greenlights police training academy despite concerns over funding and location Vancouver city council has backed a plan that supports a new training facility for the city’s police department.

This location is absolutely baffling

If anyone has ever heard of a police training centre in downtown retail/hospitality space in any other city please let me know

www.ctvnews.ca/vancouver/ar...

Wilson: talking about community safety and well-being plan drafted by city, police, business groups etc. "Vicpd is one part of that broader well-being framework." (then rattles off a list of things police keep saying they don't want to be involved in, but which they insert themselves into)

There’s a #vicpdboard meeting at 5:00 pm. Will follow along. They didn’t post their agenda in advance (they’ve met that legal requirement 1/3 of the time). Things they may discuss: increasing their 2026 budget request; no charges for officer who shot and killed a man in 2021 without warning. #yyj 🧵

While VicPD asks for even more money, 98% of people oppose increase There’s been some movement around VicPD’s budget this week. First, the good news: Victoria council reported they heard from over 200 people who opposed VicPD’s budget increase. An overwhelming 98% …

VicPD asks for even more money, but 98% of submissions to the city oppose increase defundvicpd.org/2026/02/21/w... #yyj #deFundVicpd

You made your voices heard folks, way to go! Keep it up: DefundVicPD.org #yyj #Defundvicpd

Stream 1 highlights
1. police budget increase, with 98% of 208 mentions opposed
2. housing initiatives, with 99% of 106 mentions support
3. property tax increase, with 98% of 89 mentions opposed
4. arts, culture, events decrease with 99% of 76 mentions opposed

Oh good, Councillor Hammond is getting lots of emails saying reduce the police budget. He might want to listen - there’s an election in October.

screenshot of a slide that reads: Purpose -Recap original 2026 budget submission -impact of provincial appeal decision -proposed core budget reduction -proposed optional resource addition - Foot Patrol and Bylaw Unit -impact of reduction - traffic

Back in open, and Mayor Alto has introduced Elizabeth Cull the police board Finance Chair, who is intro'ing the Director of Finance and Police Chief.

Defund the police to find revenue for community safety? Not on Premier Eby’s watch! Cops don’t keep people safe.

journalists must fact check every statement police make

Just shocking bullshit at the Chamber of Commerce. On the one hand, the "CEO" of the Chamber, John Wilson, wants to cut taxes. On the other hand, he and the new police chief want to increase police funding. Funding for the dept has increased by 30% over 5 years or so.

Victoria mayor pushes back on Victoria police chief's claim of 'chronic underfunding' | CBC News Victoria Police Chief Fiona Wilson called for a significant budget increase on Tuesday, saying there's been a decade of “chronic underfunding.” However, the city's mayor later pushed back on the asser...

Get yourself a mayor that pushes back. PS Victoria has the highest per capita policing cost in BC
www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

yes, @defundvicpd.bsky.social and i follow eachother

yes this is on purpose

yes this is a matter of policy

alto needs to get her head on a swivel in case i show up

i am very persistent and there's not much left the world can make me feel ashamed about so long i know as i'm speaking with my heart

Huh, so cities DON'T have to write a blank cheque for their police forces. @defundvicpd.bsky.social check this out.

I was just reminded that 2 years ago I wrote about the Toronto Police, union and chief, fear mongering in an effort to intimidate mayor and council to increase their budget (it worked).

oh, you rascals

Every Homeland Security officer in Minneapolis is now being issued a body-worn camera, Kristi Noem says Every Homeland Security officer on the ground, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers, will be immediately issued body-worn cameras, Secretary Kristi Noem said Monday.

Congratulations to everyone who pushed this awful policy. www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/02/h...

From George Floyd to Alex Pretti: “Copaganda” Author on Myths About Immigration, Crime & Policing As calls grow to defund and abolish ICE, author Alec Karakatsanis warns that activists should take care to not fall for “copaganda,” which “takes ordinary people who are outraged over what’s happening...

Police-tracked crime, “contrary to what you have been told in the news every single day for the last several years, is actually down."