The Edmonton police commission has recently confirmed to Progress Alberta that they will be purchasing a new tank at a cost of $500k.

This purchase was not put directly before City Council in a capital profile and was made in relative secrecy from the public.

At a time when Edmonton joins the world in uproarious discontent over systemic racism, police violence and unchecked police budget growth, increasing spending on militarized police tools is not only not needed, but actively harmful.

While there are a wide variety of services and programs that could absolutely use another $500k (like meeting the demands of Pekiwewin) many of those have already been proposed at the council hearing on police budgets and seem to have fallen on deaf ears.

Instead, let's try something new. Simply withdraw the cash from reserves - probably in small denomination, $20 bills, and then light it on fire in the middle of Churchill square. We weren't meeting our climate goals anyway.

If we're going to waste the money anyway, a cash fire only inconveniences us momentarily, a police tank inconveniences - and hurts and kills - us for a lifetime.