Last week, Vancouver City Council approved over $340 million in police funding and rejected a motion calling for a budget cut of $5 million. The failure to decisively defund the police – by both Council and the Police Board – enables the VPD to continue a longstanding pattern of interference, degradation, and harm in over-policed communities.
Principally, we support full decriminalization. We do not support the use of administrative or other regimes to control, coerce, medicalize, pathologize, or penalize drug use.
In recognition of the October 22nd International Day of Protest to Stop Police Brutality, Repression and Criminalization, Pivot submitted an FOI request to the VPD.
Pivot writes to provincial party leaders, to urge them to enshrine dignity and equity within their respective platforms, party, and public discourse.
Joint letter (Pivot, CDPC) urging the City Council and Mayor to approve the lease on a prospective overdose prevention site in Yaletown. The paramountcy of public health over community input in the approval process for harm reduction services is established in law and should be followed here.
Joint letter (BCCLA< UBCIC & Pivot) in response to Vancouver Park Board resolution concerning by-law amendment to temporarily sheltering in parks.