By Jordan Omstead Enbridge has agreed to funnel money to U.S. law enforcement in anticipation of protests against its Line 5 pipeline reroute project, a move that has raised concerns about the depth of the company’s influence in policing issues. The Calgary-based company says it volunteered the public safety fund to help governments in Wisconsin cover the extra costs related to the rerouting of the pipeline opposed by Indigenous communities. The proposed deal has alarmed some local residents and observers in Canada who say it smacks of a conflict of interest and fear it could incentivize police to act as the company’s hired security. “It’s hard to think that there’s not some kind of transactional benefit to paying the bills,” said Jeffrey Monaghan, a Carleton University sociologist who’s written extensively… <\/p>\n
By Jordan Omstead Enbridge has agreed to funnel money to U.S. law enforcement in anticipation of protests against its Line 5 pipeline reroute project, a move that has raised concerns about the depth of the company’s influence in policing issues. The Calgary-based company says it volunteered the public safety fund to help governments in Wisconsin cover the extra costs related to the rerouting of the pipeline opposed by Indigenous communities. The proposed deal has alarmed some local residents and observers in Canada who say it smacks of a conflict of interest and fear it could incentivize police to act as the company’s hired security. “It’s hard to think that there’s not some kind of transactional benefit to paying the bills,” said Jeffrey Monaghan, a Carleton University sociologist who’s written extensively... <\/p>\n