Queen's AMS calls on the City of Kingston to withdraw funds from police and reallocate funds of $ 350,000

Last week, Mayor Bryan Paterson said Queen’s University had committed $ 350,000 to the City of Kingston “to help pay for additional compliance costs incurred by the city for parties in the university district,” including an increased police presence and COVID safety messages. -19.

Just yesterday the queen Alma Mater Society (AMS) and affiliates Social Affairs Commission launched a petition imploring the City to allocate the money to harm reduction and emergency services instead of law enforcement.

“The city is now deciding how to allocate the large donation that Queen’s gave them, and we ask that you allocate this money to Kingston’s health care services, fighting Kingston’s housing crisis, supporting the homeless, non-services. police such as the fire department and harm reduction strategies such as water stations and food trucks ”, the petition read.

“The Kingston Police is an overfunded service that represents an institution rooted in oppression and prejudice. In recent months we have seen an increase in surveillance, law enforcement and assault on students. “

The petition claims that Kingston police are “essentially profiting from fines,” noting that while September cost Kingston police $ 124,443 overtime to manage student parties in the university district, police and law enforcement handed out $ 118,500 in fines in a single night.

“The Kingston police do not need our money and they do not make many Queen’s students feel safe or secure,” the petition says. “The effects of increased policing are even greater for marginalized students who already experience increased scrutiny and police violence.”

“We are against excessive surveillance of Queen students and we want Queen funds to go to city services that truly support Queen students.”

“The police made the situation worse for everyone by escalating existing tensions,” wrote one commenter. “If the party had just been left alone on the Aberdeen block as in previous years, the expansion into family areas would not have occurred and everyone would have been happier. Housing in Kingston is in a state of crisis for residents and students alike, and I prefer this money to go to that. ”