City council to vote on the proposed Hamilton Police Services Budget that raised concerns for several council members
Hamilton Police Services board is suggesting a $12 million addition in budget this year. The city council will meet in a public delegation on Monday, Feb. 6 with hopes to set the HPS operating budget for 2023.
Police Chief Frank Bergen says the increase in budget is to account for a growing population and an increasing crime severity in Hamilton. Without an increase in budget to hire new officers, Bergen says the current officer to civilian ratio cannot be maintained.
Police Chief Frank Bergen says the increase in budget is to account for a growing population and an increasing crime severity in Hamilton. Without an increase in budget to hire new officers, Bergen says the current officer to civilian ratio cannot be maintained.
Bergen also claimed that this budget would be 18.5 per cent of Hamilton’s overall spending, the same percentage as in 2022. He also pointed out that seemingly small operation costs add up and specifically mentioned the $134 904 spent by the HPS to enforce the nuisance bylaw during McMaster’s Fake Homecoming.
Although this budget was approved by the Police Services Board, Ward 2 city councillor Cameron Kroetsch has questioned the 6.71 per cent increase due to what he called a lack of prioritizing the voices of Hamiltonians in regard to policing over the past few years.
Although this budget was approved by the Police Services Board, Ward 2 city councillor Cameron Kroetsch has questioned the 6.71 per cent increase due to what he called a lack of prioritizing the voices of Hamiltonians in regard to policing over the past few years.
During the 2020 Hamilton Black Lives Matter protests there were calls for cuts up to 20 per cent of the HPS budget that were met with little consequence; the HPS budget has only increased from the $170,815,160 in 2020. Calls for introducing new operating policies such body cams have also not been met. A rally has been organized for Monday night at 5:30 p.m. to protest the $12 million increase in budget.
Kroetsch asked if community needs, such as experts replacing police officers on scenes for mental health emergencies, were going to be included in this additional $12 million. Bergen responded with the concern that creating a mental health initiative such as this, while beneficial for the community, would not come cheap.
Other council members have expressed concerns with the HPS proposed budget. For example, Ward 4 city councillor Tammy Hwang challenged Bergen about the diversity of hires in the newly proposed 13 officers that would be hired annually over the next 8 years.
If the city council chooses to reject this budget the police services board has the option to propose a new version or to appeal using the Ontario Civilian Police Commission. According to OCPC, the HPS has not filed for an appeal in over 20 years.
This is an ongoing story.
cw: mention of sexual assault
Following what the university calls “serious allegations” of policy breaching, Scott Watter, an associate professor in McMaster’s department of psychology, neuroscience and behaviour, has been suspended from his position and is no longer allowed on campus.
Maureen J. MacDonald, dean of science, was the first to communicate these decisions in an email sent on Feb. 19. According to Wade Hemsworth, the public relations manager for McMaster, MacDonald’s email was sent to “those who could potentially be impacted by the situation,” including students, faculty members and staff. The email stated that an unnamed faculty member was under investigation.
The email noted that there were “serious allegations that could involve a number of policies, including McMaster’s Sexual Violence Policy” but did not disclose any specific details pertaining to the allegations in order to “safeguard the privacy of those involved”.
The recipients of MacDonald’s email were also informed that undergraduate courses would be reassigned to another instructor. However, the email did not detail which courses this reorganization would impact.
On Feb. 21, students enrolled in History of Psychology, or PNB 3HP3, received an email from Ali Hashemi, a sessional instructor at the university, informing them that Hashemi would be the instructor for the remainder of the semester.
History of Psychology was one of the two courses Watter was assigned to teach this year. The other course, Human Perception & Cognition, or PNB 2XA3, was delivered during the fall semester and is a mandatory requirement for the honours PNB program.
When undergraduate students returned to class after reading week, they began to piece together who the email and allegations were referring to. There are 69 students taking History of Psychology this year, while the PNB program and faculty of science consist of an estimated 800 and 7000 undergraduate students, respectively — meaning that the majority of students were not informed of the situation.
“Us students only recognized that [the email] was in regard to Dr. Watter as his project students and his classes were reassigned . . . I think only sending his [current] students the email was worrisome as these allegations are of serious concern and not even the whole PNB student population was told,” explained Alex, a fourth year PNB student who asked that only their first name be used.
“It makes us think about how many other things may be happening at the university that we are not being told about — which is scary.”
On March 19, The Hamilton Spectator publically reported that Watter was the professor under investigation. Watter is one of two professors who ran the Cognitive Science Lab at McMaster, which was established in 2003. Students have described him as a core professor in the faculty, having taught several mandatory courses over the years.
In a statement published in the The Spec, Watter’s lawyer, Brent Foreman of SimpsonWigle Law, confirmed that Watter had been placed on “non-disciplinary leave of absence without loss of pay”.
“To date, Dr. Watter has not been provided with particulars of the allegations and he does not know whether an investigation by the university actually has commenced,” said Foreman in the statement obtained by The Spec.
On March 20, Hemsworth confirmed to the Silhouette that an investigation of a PNB faculty member was launched and Hamilton police were made aware of the allegations. The details of the investigation are confidential. Hamilton police spokesperson, constable Lorraine Edwards, confirmed to The Spec that they have commenced an investigation.
“Once Dr. Watter receives the particulars of the complaint, he intends to provide a full and complete response and to vigorously defend himself against the allegations made against him,” Foreman stated to The Spec.
As news of the allegations came to light, some students were disappointed in the way communication pertaining to the matter was handled.
“I’ve seen a very slow trickle through the department, a lot of word of mouth. For example, there are a couple of second year [students] in my lab who had [Watter] for their second year cognition course in the fall term. They had no idea what had actually happened,” explained a fourth year PNB student who wishes to remain anonymous.
“I think it’s [been] very hard [on students], especially having it be through word of mouth, because it’s not very sensitive to survivors. We don’t know who they are. They may be listening in on conversations and I think it’s sad that it played out this way,” added the student.
When asked to comment on why the Faculty decided to communicate solely with Watter’s current students, Hemsworth stated in an email that “the Dean’s email [from Feb. 19] was sent to those who could potentially be impacted by the situation, including graduate and undergraduate students, faculty members and staff.”
“I think the key thing is that it has changed how the department feels quite a lot even if you haven’t been directly affected. PNB is a very close knit department and it’s not unusual to be friendly with professors . . . so it’s really upsetting to have someone take advantage of that and the department is really feeling it right now,” explained a fourth year PNB student who wishes to remain anonymous.
Those in need of support can access resources through the university’s Sexual Violence Response Protocol, and can contact Hagar Akua Prah, the sexual violence response coordinator, at prahh@mcmaster.ca.
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Note: This article has been edited to clarify that Marc Lemire has been working for the city of Hamilton since 2005.
cw: homophobia, physical violence, white supremacy, religious extremism
The annual Hamilton Pride event held on June 24, 2006 was interrupted midway by a group of homophobic soccer fans. The soccer fans allegedly swore and spat on those marching in the parade, but the Hamilton police were quick to respond, forming a barrier between the fans and the parade participants.
At the time, Lyla Miklos, a Hamilton-based activist, creative and journalist, was a board member of the Hamilton Pride committee. She was also one of many who marched in the pride parade—an experience she detailed thirteen years later in a deputation to the Hamilton police services board on July 18, 2019.
The deputation came a month after a hate group violently interrupted the 2019 Hamilton Pride event. A video from the scene shows a snippet of the commotion, which occurred in the middle of Gage Park and away from Pride festivities.
Anti-pride demonstrators gathered at the event, shouting homophobic and white nationalist rhetoric. The video appears to show a religious group holding signs with phrases from the Bible and accusing Pride participants of perpetuating “sin”.
Hamilton Pride 2019 event at Gage Park being disrupted. Photo C/O CBC News
Another group is shown attempting to protect Pride-goers from the anti-pride demonstrators, trying to erect a black curtain to cover the anti-pride group and their signs.
Eventually, the confrontations escalated to punching, grabbing and choking, with one of the disruptors hitting pride-goers in the face with a motorcycle helmet.
In the aftermath, the Pride Hamilton board of directors published a statement saying that the situation would not have escalated to such a violent degree had the police responded sooner.
The statement also discusses Pride Hamilton’s multiple attempts to explain to the police that a similar protest happened during Pride 2018 and that they expected the number of protestors to escalate for 2019.
Nevertheless, Miklos’ deputation from July 18, 2019 points out the differences in police responsiveness between the 2006 and 2019 Pride events.
“. . . I am puzzled as to why the [Hamilton] police were unable to mobilize themselves in the same way [they did in the 2006 Pride parade] at Gage Park for Hamilton Pride in 2019, especially since they knew in advance that there was a threat,” she said.
Pride Hamilton’s statement also touches upon the relationship between the Hamilton Police Services and the local queer community.
“There have been long-standing issues between the 2SLGBTQIA+ community and Hamilton Police Services that remain unresolved. We feel that this was an opportunity for police to demonstrate that they were there to protect and act in solidarity with the community,” said Pride Hamilton’s statement.
Hamilton Pride 2019 event at Gage Park being disrupted. Photo C/O CBC News
However, not all members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community believe that increasing police responsiveness is the answer. A June 2019 study from McMaster’s department of labour studies surveyed 900 members of Hamilton’s queer community. Approximately one third of respondents stated that they had been treated unjustly by police, and transgender respondents were more likely to report unfair treatment.
Some recount the events of Hamilton Pride as an example of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community coming together to defend themselves.
Indeed, the protest at the Pride event is only one part of the fraught history between the city of Hamilton and the members of its local queer community.
Since 2005, Marc Lemire has been working as IT network analyst for the city of Hamilton. From 1995 to 2005, Lemire ran Heritage Front, a now defunct neo-Nazi white supremacist organization. He was also the webmaster of the Freedom Site, which hosted the websites of several Canadian anti-Semitic organizations.
In an email to CBC News, however, Lemire denied being either a white supremacist or a neo-Nazi. Despite Lemire’s claims, when Lemire’s appointment and history became public knowledge in May 2019, the Hamilton LGBTQ advisory group responded by stating in a motion that with the city allowing Lemire to work for and with them, it had failed to show solidarity with the marginalized communities in Hamilton. According to the LGBTQ advisory group, Lemire’s employment threatens the safety of city staff and volunteers that belong to these communities.
The advisory group is also protesting a police services board appointment from April 2019, which it believes was a missed opportunity to appoint someone who was part of a marginalized community instead of another of the white, straight men that comprise a majority of the current board.
Another criticism from the advisory group is that the city didn’t implement a transgender and gender non-conforming protocol as quickly as they should have. The protocol was established three years after an incident in 2014 that sparked an Ontario Human Rights tribunal settlement. The advisory group also alleged that the committee behind the protocol was chosen by the city arbitrarily, without careful regard of who would best serve the intentions of the protocol.
In consideration of all this, the advisory group declared that since the city has failed to demonstrate solidarity with the 2SLGBTQIA+ community in Hamilton, it didn’t want the city to fly flags in honour of Hamilton Pride 2019. However, on May 30, 2019, rather than adhering to the advisory group’s request, city officials still chose to fly flags symbolic of Pride and the transgender community — only without hosting a flag-raising ceremony, in an attempt to reach a compromise between the city’s plans and the advisory group’s request.
On May 30, 2019, rather than adhering to the Hamilton LGBTQ advisory group’s request, city officials still chose to fly flags symbolic of Pride and the transgender community. Photo C/O CBC News.
In a CBC article from the time, Mayor Fred Eisenberger insisted on flying the flag, citing that one advisory group does not represent the entirety of the LGBTQ community.
“There’s a much broader audience out there, including our own staff,” he said.
Cameron Kroetsch, chair of the LGBTQ advisory committee, acknowledges that some 2SLGBTQIA+ residents might have wanted a ceremony and that people would have felt differently about the flag-raising.
“It’s a powerful symbol, and you can’t perfectly represent everybody,” he said.
Less than a month after this, on June 15, 2019, the 2019 Hamilton Pride event was interrupted by a hateful protest, and tensions between the city of Hamilton and the local queer community came to a boil.
Mayor Fred Eisenberger tweeted his reaction to the Pride incident, “I am disappointed with the events that transpired at yesterday’s Hamilton’s PRIDE celebration at Gage Park. Hate speech and acts of violence have no place in the City of Hamilton. We are committed to being a Hamilton For All where everyone feels safe and welcome.”
However, the mayor’s intentions did not bring any positive impact for the remainder of the year.
On June 18, 2019, a community conversation regarding Hamilton’s 2SLGBTQIA+ residents ended in a heated discussion about the lack of effort from Hamilton police in keeping Pride participants safe.
On June 22, 2019, in an outcry against the arrest of Cedar Hopperton, an anarchist activist charged with alleged parole violations following the Pride incident, protesters marched from the Hamilton police headquarters in Barton Jail, where Hopperton was detained. Hopperton, a prominent member of the Hamilton queer community, was the first arrest made following the Pride protest. This drew questions and criticism, as videos of the June 15 incident also showed at least two alt-right protesters committing violence against participants of Hamilton Pride. Hopperton’s supporters also argued that Hopperton was acting in defense of the community while the Hamilton Police failed to arrive at the scene in a timely manner.
https://www.facebook.com/TrentCWTP/photos/a.1835158899853468/2268043049898382/?type=3&theater
On July 12, 2019, around two dozen members of Hamilton’s 2SLGBTQIA+ community, alongside allies, set up an encampment at Hamilton city hall in protest of the Hamilton police’s alleged failure to stand in support and in assistance to the city’s marginalized communities.
On Aug. 27, 2019, the Hamilton police expressed the desire to improve their relationship with the city’s 2SLGBTQIA+ community. Jackie Penman, the spokesperson for the Hamilton police, claimed that the police’s goal was to identify what should be done to reestablish communication between the Hamilton queer community and the police.
Nevertheless, a month after this, on Sept. 10, 2019, Chief Eric Girt of the Hamilton police makes homophobic and transphobic comments on the Bill Kelly show. One month later on Oct. 10, 2019, the police board denied a request from Kroetsch from the city’s LGBTQ advisory committee to provide a deputation to the board, claiming that Kroetsch wanted to speak about city issues and not police ones.
When asked about where the police should start with repairing its fractured relationship with the Hamilton queer community, Kroetsch points out that the work behind this has already been done by many kinds of groups long before 2019.
“The chief quite clearly stated that he knew what the issues were. So I think the start has to be … getting a plan from the City of Hamilton, getting a plan from city police to talk about what they’re planning to do now … What can you do, what are you able to do, how are you able to participate in this conversation marginalised communities have been asking you for decades?” said Kroetsch.
He also spotlights the frustration felt by many members of marginalised communities, who have already done a lot of talking and who have to relive traumatic experiences in sharing their accounts with others. Kroetsch says that he does not see a plan coming forward from any civic leaders that truly take into account what marginalised individuals are telling them.
In a similar vein, Miklos criticizes the constant defensiveness from the mayor and the chief of police. She calls for more compassion and urges the mayor to do something more helpful than simply showing up at cultural events.
Regarding the future of the city’s relationship with the local 2SLGBTQIA+ community, Kroestch said that it is up to the city, including the police, to listen and engaged with the right folks.
“There’s a lot of awkwardness there and uncomfortability, and they have to find a way to work through that for themselves, and work through what it means to engage with marginalised communities … And that’s really the start of the work and I think it’s a long road for that. But the sooner they get down that road, the better,” said Kroetsch.
This article is part of our Sex and the Steel City, our annual sex-positive issue. Click here to read more content from the special issue.
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More than 2,000 maroon-clad students ventured to Dalewood Avenue last Saturday to celebrate McMaster’s first ever “Fake Homecoming” or FOCO, one of the largest student street parties that the university has seen in years.
FOCO was planned in response to the university’s decision to move its annual Homecoming event to the weekend of Oct. 18, overlapping with the end of reading week.
The unsanctioned street party began as a Facebook event called “MAC FOCO 2019 - A new beginning”. According to the page, it had over 2,700 attendees. The party coincided with the McMaster Marauders’ 47-19 win against the Windsor Lancers.
While the reason for the timing change is likely due to the 2019 football schedule, students took it upon themselves to organize a replacement Homecoming event that satisfied their own schedule.
The Facebook event description stressed that although the McMaster administration had decided to move HOCO, this would not stop students from taking advantage of an opportunity to celebrate. Visitors to the page were told to come to Dalewood on Sept. 21 and show their school spirit.
The event attracted the attention of the Hamilton Police and the McMaster administration. A day before, both parties stated in a press release that they were visiting residences to remind students to respect the community.
The Hamilton police noted that they — as well as city partners — would have an increased presence in the neighbourhood to discourage anything and anyone that might be disruptive. Particular emphasis was placed on forbidding large parties and alcohol on the streets.
HOCO has a history of safety concerns and in previous years, there have been issues of students publicly urinating and disrupting neighbors and making inappropriate comments during HOCO concerts. In addition, one woman was run over by a police horse during Homecoming in 2018.
Fortunately, FOCO did not run into such problems. Hamilton Police closed off Dalewood between Main Street West and Westwood Avenue and used caution tape to section off homes not housing students or interested in participating. With the exception of a few medical calls and bylaw tickets, the police made no arrests.
Students remained respectful and enjoyed their time day-drinking on front lawns and walking down the street. Some students even helped clean the street after the parties subsided, earning the gratitude of the Hamilton Police. In addition, the MSU planned a litter pick-up on the street for the Sunday after.
On Twitter, the Hamilton police wrote, “A special thanks to these #McMasterU students for taking the time to clean up after today’s unsanctioned homecoming event in the Ainslee Wood/Westdale area in #HamONT. Thanks for being #good neighbours.”
FOCO also drew in other students from outside Hamilton.
“It was lit. I had a really fun time and I wasn’t worried about anything. Overall, it was really relaxing,” said Trevor Chang, a third-year Laurier student and regular HOCO participant.
The success of FOCO has encouraged some students to plan a similar event next year should McMaster’s annual Homecoming fall during reading week once again.
“It’s a cultural thing. Of course there will be another FOCO. If we want to, university students are going to plan something like this again,” said a McMaster student who wishes to remain anonymous.
Regardless, the event supports the possibility of over 2,000 McMaster students attending an entirely student-run Homecoming event with no major issues.
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By: Tashy Davidson
On Nov. 17, the Hamilton Police Board held a public meeting where delegations from various activism groups gave presentations on their concerns about Hamilton’s carding policies.
Carding is the practice of gathering information such as name and address from the public and using this information as it becomes relevant to police investigations. Carding interactions vary across jurisdictions, and have come under particular scrutiny in Toronto. Organizations such as the Canadian Civil Liberties Association have condemned the practice for its ties to discrimination, specifically the systematic targeting of individuals based on stereotypes of race, colour or ethnicity referred to as racial profiling.
“[The draft policy] appears to rely more heavily on giving permission to police officers to card individuals, rather than articulating clearly the rights an individual has in their interaction with the police,” said Marlene Dei-Amoah of the City of Hamilton’s Committee Against Racism at the Board’s public meeting last Thursday.
Hamilton’s carding history is controversial. New provincial legislation, called the Police Service Act came into force in March 2016, which requires municipalities to revise their policy on carding by Jan. 1, 2017 and sets out guidelines for when it is justifiable for police to collect identifying information.
However, even where the stop is justified, police are required to inform citizens that they have the right to walk away, to know the reason for the stop, and to file a complaint.
According to Yasir Naqvi, Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services, the new law will ensure that the collection of identifying information is not discriminatory, because it prohibits “arbitrary” and “random” collection.
Critics, including Maria Antelo of the Community Coalition Against Racism, question the potential consequences of the law.
“The regulations... are an improvement over the status quo, which allows police officers to go on fishing expeditions among racialized and indigenous peoples who happen to be on the street,” Antelo said. “[Carding] should be abolished, not regulated.”
The draft mandates procedural guidelines and requires that officers who collect identifying information be trained appropriately. Officers must give a receipt to individuals who allow their information to be recorded.
But the guidelines also provide access to information collected unjustifiably before or after Jan. 1, and to information stored in the database for more than five years, will be limited to the chief of police.
This is of particular concern to Antelo, who argues that allowing the indefinite storage of identifying information, whether or not collected fairly, is a breach of civil rights.
Dei-Amoah told the board that ambiguities and inconsistencies in the draft make its anti-discrimination regulations ineffective and have the potential to further marginalize racialized members of the community. She asked the board to flesh out all obscure regulations, including the method of officer training, the content of the receipt given to individuals who consent to the collection of information, and the measures that will be taken to deal with transgressions.
“[The draft policy is] a clear representation of systemic structural racism and we are vehemently opposed to its implementation without evidence that the board has taken seriously, and considered critically, the above noted recommendations,” Dei-Amoah concluded.
Dei-Amoah wants the board to rewrite the policy, “incorporating the feedback that you’ve heard today, working alongside and not on behalf of the racialized community to address the highlighted concerns and unintended impacts.”
The board’s final decision will be made at its next meeting in December, and its policy implemented by Jan 1, 2017.
A Hamilton Police initiative to monitor cyclists in McMaster University's surrounding neighbourhood was launched on Oct. 28 and will run until Nov. 28.
The problem-or
iented project (POP) targets cyclists who commit rules of the road offences and equipment violations near McMaster's campus.
Hamilton Police Sgt. Gino Ciarmoli said the project is the result of several complaints about cyclist behaviour from the neighbourhood and Councillor Brian McHattie's office.
Police will enforce the Highway Traffic Act and City of Hamilton By-Laws, which include:
Police will also be enforcing a zero-tolerance policy, which means cyclists will be fined if they commit a traffic violation. Fines range from $25 for improper equipment to $155 for failing to stop at a red light.
A similar initiative took place in March of this year, in which Police targeted Sterling Street for cycling infractions due to complaints from the Ainslie Wood/Westdale Community Association. Sergeant Ciarmoli said the current project is not an extension of the one in March.
A second-year graduate student was the victim of a hit-and-run on Saturday night near Emerson St. and Whitney Ave. He has since returned home from hospital and is recovering from 7 stitches in his right arm, a swollen ankle and cuts on the right side of his body.
The incident was reported to the police around 10:45 p.m. on Saturday when the victim, who wanted to remain anonymous, was walking with two friends to another friend's house on Whitney Ave.
The victim said a group in a car pulled up beside them and someone from inside the car threw an egg at him. The driver then turned the car around, pumped the gas pedal and swerved. The victim was hit by the driver's side of the car before the vehicle fled the scene. The car is described as a silver SUV with tinted windows and a broken rear window on the driver's side.
The victim is studying in McMaster's graduate physiotherapy program and has been able to return to class, though shaken by the incident.
The Hamilton Police are currently investigating the incident. Tips and information can be sent to Hamilton Crimestoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
A 32 year-old woman was mugged this morning at 7:38 a.m. while walking her dog along a trail near Haddon St. N and Marion St. Hamilton Police are looking for information and have a description of a male suspect.
The woman was approached aggressively by a white male 5’6’’ to 5’7’’ tall with a stocky build. The man was clean-shaven and wore track pants, a black hoodie and white running shoes.
The suspect grabbed the woman, threw her to the side of the trail and demanded cash from her. He threatened to kill her, but let her go. The victim ran northward to the Forsyth Ave. area, where she called the police.
The suspect was last seen running down the trail toward Marion St.
Detective Fletcher of the Hamilton Police Division One said the victim doesn’t appear to have sustained physical injuries. Fletcher said the investigation is still in the early stages, and it is uncertain whether or not this was an isolated incident.
The Hamilton Police encourage anyone with information to call 905-546-3821.
