Calgarians were forced to pay for Mayor Jyoti Gondek’s high-tech home security while she was campaigning to defund the Calgary Police Service’s budget.

As Gondek flip-flops on her prior far-left position to defund the police due to a random violence crisis, more people are asking questions about her commitments to public safety. 

Unlike Gondek and other councillors, who can get reimbursed up to $8,000 for professional home security systems, Calgarians are forced to watch their backs and lock their doors.  

Last year, after peaceful protests were held outside of Gondek’s home, City Council rammed through the security allowance. 

At the time, Ward 1 Councillor Sonya Sharp said that councillors and the mayor should pay for their own security and not force the bill onto taxpayers. 

“I feel that safety is important to me, and my family in protecting them. I feel that I make enough money to pay for it myself and I will,” said Sharp. 

“So I cannot support what is in front of me today.” 

While passing on her personal security bills to Calgarians, Gondek was simultaneously championing radical defund the police ideas inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement. 

On Tuesday, Gondek ran away from the Counter Signal’s questions about how Calgarians could trust her to protect public safety when she herself has flip-flopped on the issue. 

“Just a handful of months ago, you were fighting tooth and nail against increasing the police budget and you were actively supporting defund the police rhetoric,” asked The Counter Signal’s Keean Bexte. 

“I’m just wondering when you realized that police forces were not optional?”

“Did it take the random stabbings, wives getting stabbed, police officers getting killed to realize it was important to fund police departments? And how can Calgarians trust you when you flip-flop on basic issues like public safety?”