BarrieToday welcomes letters to the editor at [email protected]. Please include your daytime phone number and address (for verification of authorship, not publication). The following letter from former Barrie resident Ken Robertson is in response to 'LETTER: Aylwin's comments on policing 'not appropriate behaviour' for elected official' published on Jan. 21, and an article titled 'Chief criticizes councillor for 'inconsiderate, unsympathetic' remarks on Twitter' published Jan. 6.
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The issue with Coun. Keenan Aylwin and Police Chief Kimberley Greenwood stems from Mr. Aylwin questioning how resources should be allocated from the police budgets to local community services who are better suited to deal with issues like mental health.
Each year at budget time, Coun. Aylwin also encourages the police chief to find ways to help taxpayers save some money that is always the highest ticket item on the city budget.
For many in the police force, some on city council questioning the actions of our police force or their funding request is a no-go zone. I commend Coun. Aylwin for having the courage to do so on behalf of the taxpayer.
The issue with using police resources to nab the crook who stole baby formula is important. If the thief stole a truck full of baby formula to sell, then the police should act if a person stole the baby formula to feed their babies. Then he/she should be offered help and support with community services, not hunted down like a criminal. That is the point Coun. Aylwin was making and kudos to him for doing so.
The group that was protesting at the RBC in Orillia needs to be commended for having the courage to peacefully protest to raise a very important issue we are facing today. This protest that involved a person chaining himself to the banks door lasted all of 30 minutes and was of no threat to the bank or customers, but the message got out with the absurd amount of money that RBC contributes in “fossil financing."
Mr. Morris raised an issue that was resolved in 2019 regarding Coun. Aylwin and MP John Brassard about white supremacists; on a personal note, it took 18 months for me to receive a positive reply from Mr. Brassard on this sensitive issue.
The only problem I see with Coun. Aylwin’s comments is the wording of “defunding the police.” To some that means dismantling the police and we all know we need police, but some resources that the police use should be handled by community support who are trained and understand the complex issues with this vulnerable segment of our society.
I suggest that Coun. Aylwin does care and uses his platform constructively.
Ken Robertson
Wasaga Beach
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