How can Hamilton police fix its relationship with the city's LGBTQ community?
CBC | Posted: February 24, 2020 4:26 PM | Last Updated: February 27, 2020
Join our Facebook Live at noon on Wednesday with Det.-Const. Rebecca Moran
Earlier in February Hamilton police appointed an openly LGBTQ officer to work with the local queer and trans communities as part of an effort to build trust. On Wednesday, as part of our CBC Asks series, Det.-Const. Rebecca Moran will speak with the CBC's Conrad Collaco about the serious concerns members of the community have raised over policing.
The relationship made headlines after violence broke out at the June 15 Pride festival in Gage Park. Protesters arrived bearing religious signs and used a loudspeaker to make homophobic statements.
A group wearing pink masks used a large black cloth barricade to block them from view, and violence broke out. Several people were injured, and five people were arrested, including just one of the religious protesters.
Pride Hamilton and some festival attendees criticized police response that day, saying officers took too long to intervene.
The police board hired an independent reviewer, Scott Bergman from the Toronto firm Cooper, Sandler, Shime and Bergman LLP.
CBC Asks: What does the Hamilton police service have to do to fix its relationship with the city's LGBTQ community? Let us know in the box below or send an email to Hamilton@cbc.ca.