An independent review of actions taken by the municipality of Halifax and city police during evictions of homeless encampments that turned violent in 2021 says both parties made mistakes in their handling of the incident and should issue an apology.
The civilian review conducted by a team of Toronto-based lawyers was commissioned by Halifax in spring 2023, and came with 37 recommendations that will be presented to a Board of Police Commissioners meeting Wednesday.
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The recommendations include calls for Halifax and its police force to publicly acknowledge flaws in the decision-making process that led to the encampment eviction and publicly apologize for those errors. The report also urges the city to keep designating public spaces to be used as homeless encampments.
More than a hundred protesters clashed with police on Aug. 18, 2021 as city officials forcibly cleared a homeless encampment downtown, with several demonstrators pepper sprayed and arrested.
The review says Halifax Regional Police should review and revise its sensory irritant policy to ensure that only “properly trained” officers carry pepper spray.
It also says both police and the municipality should be commended for the “more progressive and compassionate” approach taken to homeless encampments since that day.
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