"There May not Be a Policing Solution" : Building Just, Safe, Inclusive Societies - Peter Sloly

"There May Not Be a Police Solution" is former Ottawa Police Chief Peter Sloly's controversial yet forthright acknowledgment that policing alone cannot solve the increasingly complex crime, public safety, and security issues facing Canada and other democracies. As communities all over North America scrutinize the role of the police in the wake of events such as Canada's Freedom Convoy, the murder of George Floyd, and the over-representation of marginalized and Indigenous populations in the criminal justice system, a struggle to find the right path forward has emerged. In this memoir and social critique, Peter Sloly untangles this urgent issue through the unique insights he gained in his time in senior roles with the Toronto and Ottawa Police Services and as a UN Peacekeeper. He recounts how his experiences of crime in Jamaica and his early life as a Black immigrant influenced his understanding of inclusivity and belonging, while reflecting on his tenure in Canada's national soccer team. In his long career in public and private security, he gained a rich array of boots-on-the-ground experience of some of the most high profile safety crises in Canada and globally, including the Freedom Convoy, Yonge Street Riots, G20 demonstrations, 9/11 terror attacks, gang related mass shootings, carding and street check controversies, and deadly encounters between the police and community members. These experiences of the geopolitical and social forces that shape community safety and well-being have informed his advocacy of an upstream approach to policing that works with human services institutions to reduce both the social and financial costs of policing. "There May Not Be a Police Solution" offers hard truths, frank analyses, and new insights into policing. It is an unapologetic call to action for all Canadians to make the difficult choices necessary to reform policing while building thriving, resilient societies.