Winnipeg Police Cause Harm

WPCH is a community-centred police abolitionist group committed to defunding the WPS and reallocating resources to life-sustaining services.

#AbolishTheWPS

[Winnipeg Police Cause Harm @WpgPoliceHarm]

After a lot of thought, we've decided to stop posting here. The fascist takeover has rendered it an unlikely platform for reaching new people, and many who we interact with have already left it. Our account will remain up as an archive but we won't be checking notifications/DMs.

[Winnipeg Police Cause Harm @WpgPoliceHarm]

It’s sad to end things here in such a way - a LOT happened on Twitter over the years, and we met/connected with so many fantastic people. But it’s time to finally cut ties, and we’d encourage others to consider doing so too. We’ll still be able to find each other! 💞

[Winnipeg Police Cause Harm @WpgPoliceHarm]

After a lot of thought, we've decided to stop posting here. The fascist takeover has rendered it an unlikely platform for reaching new people, and many who we interact with have already left it. Our account will remain up as an archive but we won't be checking notifications/DMs.

[Winnipeg Police Cause Harm @WpgPoliceHarm]

We are still very much on other platforms though! Find us on Bluesky, Instagram, and Facebook - all with the same handle of wpgpoliceharm.

And subscribe to our email newsletter at https://t.co/u4EHcMXOO8.

We'll be sending out a new issue soon!

[Winnipeg Police Cause Harm @WpgPoliceHarm]

Please support this if you can 🥺 https://t.co/EbrTSXTKhd

[Winnipeg Police Cause Harm @WpgPoliceHarm]

The special budget meeting of the Winnipeg Police Board starts at 9:30am (or is supposed to, they usually begin a bit late).

There will be several delegations by opponents to increased police funding.

You can watch the livestream via the link below.

https://t.co/xQj5l5CBfu

[Winnipeg Police Cause Harm @WpgPoliceHarm]

You can present in-person at City Hall or by Zoom.

Feel free to reach out to us with any questions you might have about the presentation process or the proposed budget.

The pamphlet below provides some key facts.

https://t.co/Bm7eNpfOR9

[Winnipeg Police Cause Harm @WpgPoliceHarm]

We have prepared a leaflet for sharing about the proposed 2025 WPS budget.

Please help share it. We need to get the word out to as many people as possible about this massive theft of public resources.

It's available as a printable download on our site: https://t.co/FjOoCdpcAi

[Winnipeg Police Cause Harm @WpgPoliceHarm]

If you want to present to the board, you have until noon tomorrow to register.

For "committee you want to address," choose "other" and write "Winnipeg Police Board." For "agenda item," write "Preliminary 2025 Budget Update."

The more, the merrier!

https://t.co/h3QonxRrSx

[Winnipeg Police Cause Harm @WpgPoliceHarm]

The budget-specific police board meeting is happening on Monday at 9:30am. We don't think there's any hope of changing the board's mind. But it's still a chance to directly vocalize opposition to the $15.1 million/yr raise the city will give the WPS.

[Winnipeg Police Cause Harm @WpgPoliceHarm]

The WPS love to pretend they're using the helicopter at every moment for high-speed chases, which is why they release footage to the media for circulation. And as once again evidenced here, most journalists refuse to exercise the most basic critical thinking skills about cops.

[Winnipeg Police Cause Harm @WpgPoliceHarm]

$18.8 million more in annual operating funding in 2025. A second $415,000 armoured vehicle. And now this.

There's literally nothing the WPS demands that Gillingham, Chambers, and the rest of city council won't gleefully blow public funds on. Sickening.

https://t.co/Ihd5kKVPYr

[Winnipeg Police Cause Harm @WpgPoliceHarm]

Also this is factually inaccurate. Most vehicular events the helicopter is dispatched to are not "chases" but "follows," or when the vehicle is observed but not pursued.

In 2022, there were 9 traffic pursuits and 50 follows.

Oh, and the top event? WELL-BEING CHECK, with 192.

[Winnipeg Police Cause Harm @WpgPoliceHarm]

Check out our new blog post on this situation, including perspectives from Emma Jones, a full-time sex worker in Winnipeg and member of @SWWACwpg!

"Bowers’ views on sex work are not unique, which is exactly the problem."

https://t.co/qm9L6eeETB

[Winnipeg Police Cause Harm @WpgPoliceHarm]

It seems unlikely that Gene Bowers will become the next WPS chief, as initially planned.

But this highly secretive process prompted us to look into his background. Turns out Bowers has been one of the top proponents of anti-sex work policing in Winnipeg.

https://t.co/qm9L6eeETB

[Fadi Ennab @Fadi_S_Ennab]

1/4 of city budget will be wasted on police to do more violence and CBC story says: city "plans to hire more tree pruners than officers in 2025". As if we are comparing🍎to🍊and as if no one is asking to prune the police budget and fascism. https://t.co/RzqUV9k8zk 1/2

[Winnipeg Police Cause Harm @WpgPoliceHarm]

Afolabi Opaso was murdered by the police and his family will never receive the answers they deserve because all levels of government conspire to protect these racist killers

https://t.co/aP1Z5qRy5V

[Winnipeg Police Cause Harm @WpgPoliceHarm]

Zero transparency or accountability. Police "oversight" is a complete sham, council exists to run cover for the interests of this racist and ultraviolent gang.

https://t.co/7MLX4bE5rk

[Winnipeg Police Cause Harm @WpgPoliceHarm]

No mention of the fact that this "problem" entirely boils down to the fact that cops make at least $100k after only a few years on the job, while most other city workers are hugely underpaid

https://t.co/AdWQhTTxMA

[Critical Criminology @critcrim]

And the system will provide none of these.

"The investigation into Afolabi's death has dragged on far too long, and we are still left with more questions than answers. Our family deserves transparency, accountability and above all, we need justice"

#ACAB
https://t.co/RZIjm4XVfs

[Winnipeg Police Cause Harm @WpgPoliceHarm]

.@ScottGillingham claims there's "no wiggle room" in the budget while gifting the WPS another $15.1 million in 2025 and $16.6 million in 2026 🤡

[Winnipeg Free Press @WinnipegNews]

Tax hike set in stone on the front of Thursday's @WinnipegNews #wfp

[Critical Criminology @critcrim]

"Larry Beardy of Tataskweyak Cree Nation alleges racism played a role in how officers responded to an incident involving his son."

Family hires lawyer after Cree man's leg broken during arrest

#ACAB https://t.co/725s2W7fDr