Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek stepped away from the podium at a press conference after Counter Signal editor-in-chief Keean Bexte pressed her on her past support for defunding the police. .“Just a few months ago, you were fighting tooth and nail against increasing the police budget and you were actively supporting defund the police rhetoric,” said Bexte in a Tuesday video. .“I’m just wondering when you realized that police forces were not optional.” .Bexte asked if it took “random stabbings, wives getting stabbed, police officers getting killed, to realize that it was important to fund police departments.” He said how can Calgarians trust Gondek “when you flip flop on basic issues like public safety.” .She stared at him and moved her mouth before she walked back to her spot. .Gondek voiced support for defunding the police during Calgary City Council debates in 2020. .READ MORE: MORGAN: Defunding the Calgary police is not an option.Former Calgary city councillor Jeromy Farkas pointed out how defunding the police would be caving to and attempting to appease the demands of extremist groups. Gondek was apoplectic with Farkas and accused him of misconstruing what the debate was about..When a split city council voted to defund the police, the public went wild. Calgary city hall ended up filling the police funding gap from its contingency fund. .The Alberta government took action to combat social disorder and improve public safety to respond to increasing crime in the province’s big cities on Tuesday. .READ MORE: Ellis says 'enough is enough,' adds 100 cops to Alberta streets.Alberta Premier Danielle Smith directed Public Safety and Emergency Services Minister Mike Ellis to work with his cabinet colleagues to develop a plan to hire 100 more street-level police officers over the next 18 months to increase the visible law enforcement presence and tackle criminal activity in high-crime locations in Calgary and Edmonton..“Safety on public streets is never negotiable,” said Smith.
