Today, election day, we are in court witnessing the only police officer who was convicted in the violent arrest and death of Dale Culver challenge his conviction.
During this federal election campaign, party leaders are once again promising to “crack down on crime.” They have proposed mandatory life sentences, “three strikes” legislation, and even laws that would suspend our Charter-protected rights to increase policing powers—all in the name of safety.
But amidst these bold declarations, one thing has been conspicuously absent from the conversation: police accountability.
A few weeks ago, two VPD officers were horrifically attacked and set on fire in the line of duty. The suspect was caught. This senseless act is shocking, unacceptable, and deserves universal condemnation. Officers deserve to be safe. The communities they serve deserve to be safe.
For Indigenous, Black, and Brown communities, “tough on crime” rhetoric is not new. As Dale’s family, friends, and supporters—we know that “tough on crime” looks like police violence. It looks like over-policing in our neighbourhoods. It looks like racial profiling, arbitrary detention, and intergenerational trauma. It looks like Dale Culver—who never made it home after being stopped for riding a bike without a helmet. It looks like six Indigenous people killed by police in just two weeks in 2024. It looks like devastated families and communities telling stories of loss—again and again.
Because we know that an increase in policing powers often translates to incidents of police abusing those powers. Even when oversight bodies recommend criminal charges against police officers, Prosecutors decline to charge them. There is no trial. There is no justice.
So, we ask: what is safety?
Safety is not only about policing and punishment. Safety is access to clean water, to housing, to education, and to healthcare. It is protecting the land, the air, and the water we all depend on. Safety means all communities living free from violence and fear.
Fear is a powerful emotion. In moments of tragedy, it can lead us toward reactionary policies that double down on punishment without addressing root causes. But history has shown us: we cannot build safety for some by denying justice to others. True safety must be rooted in equity, accountability, and care.
As we head to the polls, let us remember those we have lost and how we can build a safer future. Let us condemn both the violence experienced by these communities and these police officers. But let us also commit to the kind of reflection and reform that honors everyone’s right to safety.
What Does Safety Really Look Like? A Call for Police Accountability in Times of Fear
Today, election day, we are in court witnessing the only police officer who was convicted in the violent arrest and death of Dale Culver challenge his conviction.
During this federal election campaign, party leaders are once again promising to “crack down on crime.” They have proposed mandatory life sentences, “three strikes” legislation, and even laws that would suspend our Charter-protected rights to increase policing powers—all in the name of safety.
But amidst these bold declarations, one thing has been conspicuously absent from the conversation: police accountability.
A few weeks ago, two VPD officers were horrifically attacked and set on fire in the line of duty. The suspect was caught. This senseless act is shocking, unacceptable, and deserves universal condemnation. Officers deserve to be safe. The communities they serve deserve to be safe.
For Indigenous, Black, and Brown communities, “tough on crime” rhetoric is not new. As Dale’s family, friends, and supporters—we know that “tough on crime” looks like police violence. It looks like over-policing in our neighbourhoods. It looks like racial profiling, arbitrary detention, and intergenerational trauma. It looks like Dale Culver—who never made it home after being stopped for riding a bike without a helmet. It looks like six Indigenous people killed by police in just two weeks in 2024. It looks like devastated families and communities telling stories of loss—again and again.
Because we know that an increase in policing powers often translates to incidents of police abusing those powers. Even when oversight bodies recommend criminal charges against police officers, Prosecutors decline to charge them. There is no trial. There is no justice.
So, we ask: what is safety?
Safety is not only about policing and punishment. Safety is access to clean water, to housing, to education, and to healthcare. It is protecting the land, the air, and the water we all depend on. Safety means all communities living free from violence and fear.
Fear is a powerful emotion. In moments of tragedy, it can lead us toward reactionary policies that double down on punishment without addressing root causes. But history has shown us: we cannot build safety for some by denying justice to others. True safety must be rooted in equity, accountability, and care.
As we head to the polls, let us remember those we have lost and how we can build a safer future. Let us condemn both the violence experienced by these communities and these police officers. But let us also commit to the kind of reflection and reform that honors everyone’s right to safety.
CIVIL LIBERTIES CAN’T PROTECT THEMSELVES