Black residents in Hamilton forming advisory panel about policing concerns

Members of the Black community in Hamilton are looking to form an advisory panel to "address, respond and prioritize" concerns about policing in the city, according to the executive director of Hamilton's Anti-Racism Resource Centre (HARRC).

Lyndon George says it's borne out of years of discussions within the community, but accelerated this year after HARRC hosted a town hall in February.

The panel would see Black residents meet monthly and bring questions to the police service and board.

"There are efforts underway to try and support community," George told CBC Hamilton.

He pointed to Peel Regional Police's community-led anti-racism advisory committee, which came after the Ontario Human Rights Commission made 64 recommendations to tackle systemic racism in the police service.

George said the Hamilton panel is still in its early stages and there's work underway to formalize its own memorandum of understanding with police.

Black people are the most common victims of hate in Hamilton, while also being the most over-represented group of people when it comes to police's use of force, according to data from recent years.

Hamilton police released 2023 hate crime data last week that showed Black people were the most common victims of hate incidents with a racial bias, which has also been true in years past.

The police service's use of force data from 2022, released last year, also showed Black people were on the receiving end of 17.2 per cent of all use of force incidents in 2022, despite representing only five per cent of Hamilton's population — it was described in the report as a "gross over-representation."

At the time it was released, police said the disparity in the data didn't equal discrimination but have since apologized and said it "does not always equal discrimination."

Letters to police highlight concerns

The police service declined an interview but told CBC Hamilton in an email it has had formal and informal meetings with members of the Black community in Hamilton since 2021, including multiple meetings for a Hate Crime Case Review Team and a community advisory panel set to inform the police service's new race-based data strategy. Both initiatives are still in development.

George says Black residents have raised concerns about both initiatives and have made suggestions — one of which is that both the review team and the race-based advisory panel should be independent from the police service.

But he says community members don't feel heard.

"The police often are not addressing community concerns but rolling out plans based on what they believe is in the community's best interest. That's been the struggle," George said.

During a February police board meeting, he echoed similar comments, adding that the status quo is "unacceptable" and there needs to be change.

Feelings of not being heard were also reflected in recent letters to the police service.

HARRC, the Afro-Canadian Caribbean Association and other Black residents who took part in police discussions with the community sent a letter in February to police chief Frank Bergen and Pat Mandy, who was chair of the police board at the time.

The letter describes an "ongoing refusal of Hamilton Police to listen to community, be transparent, and accountable."

"Hamilton police making plans to address systemic racism should not omit the lived experiences of Black community members," the letter states.

It called for a community-led process regarding the race-based data advisory panel that includes:

• An independent anti-racism committee, with diverse community members who live or work in Hamilton and are referenced in the use of force data, that would steer the process and help with the application and selection process.
• Adopting an application process used by the city, rather than one hosted by the police service.
• No police involvement in the selection process, besides as a non-voting member to provide background information.

There's also a second letter from February, authored by local anti-racism expert Ameil Joseph.

Joseph was part of the discussions around the hate crime review team.

In the letter, Joseph said he was "deeply concerned" with plans to proceed with the hate crime review team despite "a structure and design that has not been advocated for, suggested by community members, experts, nor tested as effective in responding to the needs of those most impacted by hate."

Letters are 'snapshots' of engagement, police say

Hamilton police said the letters are "snapshots" of its efforts to engage with the community.

The service also said it "values community feedback" and welcomes "open, genuine dialogue with diverse communities" about how to eliminate hate and racism.

It also said it has received feedback throughout its "collaborative journey" and "amended processes to co-create next steps."

Kojo Damptey, former executive director of the Hamilton Centre For Civic Inclusion, told CBC Hamilton he was at an early March meeting regarding the hate crime review team and said concerns from the start are "still persistent."

"Other community members raised the same questions we have been raising since 2021," he said, adding he supports what is in both letters.

'This is messy work … we will not always get it right'

Bergen said in a February board meeting that the police service met with the Black community in late February about race-based data.

"This is messy work and we will not always get it right," Bergen said.

"I look forward to the advisory table you speak of … the conversation is needed and I will absolutely welcome that direction that you provide," he told George.

Joseph attended the meeting about race-based data and said it didn't inspire confidence.

He said police didn't mention prior feedback opposing the current approach to the race-based data panel — like the two letters, sent to police ahead of the meeting with the Black community.

Damptey said changes are needed to improve trust and accountability.

"I don't have any confidence in any of the work being done … it's actually causing harm," he said.

"They have to do things differently."

For more stories about the experiences of Black Canadians — from anti-Black racism to success stories within the Black community — check out Being Black in Canada, a CBC project Black Canadians can be proud of. You can read more stories here.