2023 Hate Crime Infograph

Hamilton Police saw a 26 per cent increase in the number of hate/bias incidents and criminal offences compared to the previous year. In 2023, there were 220 hate/bias occurrences reported to Hamilton Police, 79 of these occurrences were classified as hate crime.  

The majority of reported occurrences were directly related to racial bias, followed by sexual orientation and religion. Last year, the Black community, the 2SLGBTQIA community and the Jewish community were the groups most frequently victimized.

Chief Frank Bergen stated, "The impact of hate/bias occurrences is felt throughout the entire community. These occurrences undermine victims' feelings of belonging, safety, and well-being, and instill fear across the community."

Community outreach efforts to promote reporting as well as improved training for officers may contribute to a rise in reporting. International events, such as the “Capture the Pride Flag” challenge and the "One Million March for Children" campaign, led to notable increases in crimes related to the theft and destruction of Pride flags in Hamilton. Additionally, there was a surge in reported incidents linked to the conflict between Israel and Hamas after October 7, 2023.

All events are classified by the Hamilton Police Hate Crime Unit based on crimes and incidents reported to Hamilton Police. While there was a rise in the number of hate/bias occurrences, the true number is likely much larger since many incidents go unreported.

Reporting hate occurrences is an important step in stopping the cycle of hatred and preventing others from being victimized. Hamilton Police continue to encourage communities to report all hate/bias occurrences to ensure police can respond.

Hate Crime Investigator and 2SLGBTQIA Liaison Officer Lyndsay Scott explained, “When hate occurrences are reported by members of the community, it allows us to improve data collection, identify trends, support prevention efforts and allocate the necessary resources to enhance the safety of our community."

Since 2019, Hamilton Police have implemented a number of proactive and strategic steps to prevent hate-related occurrences, encourage reporting and provide support to victims. These include:

• Presenting to community groups to increase awareness about hate occurrences and encourage reporting
• Providing enhanced support to victims of hate through follow up with HPS Victim Services. Last year, Victim Services had 162 interactions with hate crime victims.
• Hosting the first Hate Crime Symposium in May 2023, which brought together over 100 police and community members to discuss issues surrounding hate-related occurrences and support for victims of hate.
• Training all new recruits on understanding, identifying, and investigating hate occurrences.
• Developed a hate crime dashboard to provide real-time data regarding hate crimes and occurrences in Hamilton to enable focused prevention efforts.
• Expanded online reporting to include hate crimes.
• Conducted focus groups with communities for the Hate Crime Case Review Team (HCCRT) with the 2SLGBTQIA, Black, Indigenous, Jewish, Muslim, South Asian community to understand community concerns. This effort was culminated in a Town Hall, facilitated by an independent third party, to establish and formalize the HCCRT.

Hamilton Police Service is committed to investigating hate/bias occurrences to ensure Hamilton is a safe and welcoming place for all.

"It is our collective duty to confront hate. By collaborating, we can ensure a coordinated response to support victims and tackle the underlying causes of hate. Together, we have the power to affect change," emphasized Chief Bergen.