From My Bottom Step

Reflecting this morning’s CJBK talk-show conversation between Councillor Joni Baechler and Morris & Megan, and my email to them which was not referred to on-air and to which there’s been no response of any kind.

I’ve been publicly outspoken about the conduct of London Police Services for at least a decade. It has been my contention, based upon personal observation in the downtown area, that police routinely target particular segments of our population like panhandlers and buskers, while at the same time deliberately ignoring other kinds of illegal behaviour.

In addition to my perception that there’s politics involved in that, it also appears to me that funding is a component of the problem. Year after year, city council has set arbitrarily limited budget increases for the police and other Boards/Commissions, even before receiving any presentations from those entities. It appears to me that our elected officials care more about the optics of “holding the line on taxes” than they do about the fiscal reality of providing essential services.

Without proper funding of the police so that they can enforce the laws, we will continue to see an escalation of illegal behavior.

The Mayor has indicated a desire to make London the “capital of southwestern Ontario” and we’re already well on the road to achieving that. Anybody with a brain pays attention to what is/has happened in Toronto and other larger communities. Red-light running is an excellent visible example.

Although I have a great deal of respect for Councillor Baechler, I feel compelled to repeat a warning that I have been making for years. That we will continue to see an increase in pedestrian/vehicle accidents and death. And all of those who sit around the City Council horseshoe will have blood on their hands.