We ended up taking a bit of an unexpected pause due to the dynamics around police criticism given the officer deaths in March. In this episode we discuss how the officer deaths were politicized to further consolidate power and resources for police as an institution, and examine how institutional failures of police may have even led to these officer deaths.. Oumar had a with Hailey Yasmeen + Mae of the Asilu Collective, a grassroots abolitionist organization working towards policing-free schools in Ontario. Oumar talked with them about their approach to activism and education, a more holistic d ..read more

We’re unraveling the current situation with policing downtown, where the province has deployed 12 sheriffs to the already heavily policed Chinatown area and self-identifying “liberal” politicians are more openly pro-police than ever. We also got to talk with an anonymous worker in the nonprofit sector, who shared some thought-provoking insights about the ways that organizations are set up to fail and why he will ultimately be leaving the sector. Useful Links What got funded — and what didn't — in Edmonton city council's budget debate Public Safety and Community Response Task Force  Sheri ..read more

The theme of this episode is our society’s comfort with silent racism and covert discrimination. We’re diving into the third police budget increase of the year so far, the police DNA phenotyping scandal, Alberta's new premier, and the announcement that the provincial province will be providing $187M towards homelessness and addiction supports. Oumar also got to interview Nicholas Marcus Thompson of the Black Class Action lawsuit against the government of Canada, a landmark case that was recently elevated to the United Nations after the government tried to dismiss it ..read more

Our communities have been calling to defund the police for decades. But despite a wealth of research, lived experiences, and successful examples of divestment from police, our local government continues to increase the police budget while cutting community services. Oumar talks to Batul Gulamhusein about the complicity of our municipal politicians in police violence and how we should approach next year’s election and the future beyond that. How can we elect leaders who we actually trust? How are we investing in the community mechanisms of care? And if we’re not calling the police, who are ..read more

Phone cameras and social media have given Black people a way to expose the oppression our communities face at the hands of police. Police violence is nothing new, but the fact that it seems new to some is a testament to how our predominantly white media organizations have failed to challenge those in power, failed to treat Black people with dignity, and failed to cover glaring injustices while enjoying their privilege. Oumar and Hannan look into Canadian media’s friendly relationship with police forces, the sinister ways in which Canadian media organizations actively silence BIPOC journalists ..read more

Oumar and Bashir meet at Dickinsfield Junior High and discuss how this upbringing shaped their relationship to policing in Edmonton. Avnish explains his work in the legal field and why police accountability is necessary for building safer communities ..read more

A ..read more

A ..read more

A ..read more

A ..read more