Special team will review hate-crime cases in Hamilton, support victims: Police
Published July 8, 2021 at 3:39 pm
The Hamilton Police Service is working to build a Hate Crime Case Review Team that will help to address hate-motivated or biased incidents in the community and support the victims of these crimes.
In a press release issued Thursday (July 8), police said that the new team will be modelled after the service’s Sexual Assault Community Review Team (SACRT) and would partner with local agencies and community organizations to review cases to develop comprehensive recommendations to improve outcomes for hate crime victims.
“We have listened to the community that increasing transparency and opportunities for community engagement is required in rebuilding trust,” said Hamilton Police Services Chief Frank Bergen in the release.
“Working alongside the community to identify wraparound approaches will be integral to creating informed solutions.”
Organizational representatives on the Hate Crime Case Review Team would also have a background in anti-racism, anti-oppression practices.
A report presented to Hamilton’s Police Services Board in April said that in 2020 there was a total of 80 hate/bias incidents reported to them. The number represents both suspected hate/biased incidents and criminal offences.
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That number is a 13.1 per cent decrease in the number of hate incidents reported in 2019 but overall, the average number of reported incidents in Hamilton over the past eight years is 121.2 per year.
Community advocates, however, were skeptical and felt that 2020’s police-reported statistics do not tell the real story of hate in Hamilton because most hate crimes are under-reported.
Last year, the majority of reported incidents were directly related to racial bias, followed by religion and sexual orientation. The Black community, the Jewish community and the 2S and LGBTQIA+ community were the groups most frequently victimized, Thursday’s release said.
In a Statistics Canada report, published in 2019, Hamilton was singled out as having the highest rate of police-reported hate crimes in the country — almost three times that of Toronto, Canada’s most populous city.
The report showed that the rate of hate crimes reported to the police out of 100,000 people in Hamilton in 2018 was 17.1. At the time, the national rate out of 100,000 people was 4.9 while in Toronto the rate was 6.4.
In November 2020, Hamilton Police implemented an additional reporting option to allow individuals to report hate/bias incidents online in an effort to encourage friends and family to report on a victim’s behalf.
“Hate crime in Hamilton is not acceptable,” Bergen said in the release.
“Left unchecked, we know hate crime can have a far-reaching impact on communities.”
In an effort to help mitigate the impact, the Hate Crime Detective and Victim Services will also initiate contact with a victim following a hate crime report.
Victim Services Branch staff will provide emotional support, assist in safety planning, provide community referrals, and guide victims on accessing financial support in some cases.
“For those unsure about reporting, the Victim Services Branch can help victims navigate the reporting process but can provide support regardless if an individual wishes to report,” the release said.
Hate crimes can be reported online at www.hamiltonpolice.on.ca.
Reporting hate/bias incidents can also be reported on the phone at 905-546-4925 or in person at any Hamilton Police station.
Organizations interested in participating can contact Community Relations Coordinator Jas Dhillon at 905-546-4910 or [email protected].
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