Hate crimes in Hamilton in 2021 hit highest number in recent history

Hate-crime numbers in Hamilton hit their highest level in 2021 since 2012, according to new police data.

The Hamilton Police Service recorded 21 hate crimes last year more than2019, 2018 and 2017 combined.

Police also reported108 hate incidents last year (87 of which weren't crimes), a 35 per cent increase from 2020, but average when compared to past years.

"The increase is worrisome," saidPat Mandy, chair of the police board and member of Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation,during a Thursday afternoonmeeting.

Mandy andActing Det.Fabiano Mendesboth said the numbers are likely underreported because not everyone approaches police with hate crimes and incidents.

Mendes said the rise in hate incidents and crimesin Hamilton is part of a broader trend across Canada.New data from Statistics Canada show the number of hate crimes reported to police across the country went up 37 per cent in 2020.

He pointed to other circumstances, like the pandemic, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, an increase in alt-right ideologies and the "senseless killing" of a Muslim family in London, Ont., last year.

Hamilton has wrestledwith areputation for hate. Statistics Canada data indicates ithad the country's highest per-capita rate of hate crimes in 2019, 2018, 2016 and 2014.

Black, Jewish, Muslim,LGBTQ people targeted most

Almost all reported local hate crimes and incidentslast year in Hamilton targeted Black,Jewish, Muslim andLGBTQcommunities.

Of those, 49involvedracial bias, 38involved religion, 19 involvedsexual orientationand two involved gender identity.

The police report shows there were 36 incidents targeting Black people, 24 targeting Jewish people, 14 targeting Muslim people and19 targeting gay people.

Those numbers indicate a sharp rise in incidents toward the Muslim community and gay people when considering there was just one reported incident toward Muslims in 2020 and two reported anti-gay incidents the previous year.

The statistics show othergroups targeted include:

• East and South East Asian people (three incidents).
• South Asian people (eightincidents).
• White people (one incident).
• Indigenouspeople (one incident).
• Other race (one incident).
• Transgenderpeople (two incidents).

The data comes as police are establishing aHate Crime Case Review Team. The police service isholding meetings with community groups to form the team, which willdevelop recommendations to improve outcomes forvictims of hate crimes.

Police Chief Frank Bergen encouraged citizens to report any incidents they may witness.

Local calls for tougher hate crime legislation grow, march planned

The police statistics were released following outcry over aConfederate flag sighting in Binbrookthatcaught the attention of anti-hate groups and has prompted a "community walk" inBinbrookplanned for Saturday afternoon.

"Why would anybody think it's acceptable?"Amie Archibald-Varley, the resident who first publiclyraised concerns about the racist flag and is organizing the walk, previously told CBC News.

Police said they couldn't lay charges or have the owner remove the flag because it's legal to fly it on privateproperty.

Last summer, Hamilton city councillors voted to ban the flag and theNazi swastika from city property, labelling them as hate symbols.

The sighting promptedMayor Fred Eisenbergerto say he would move a motion in city council to request that the provincial and federal government take action to ban symbols like the Confederate flag.

Eisenberger and Archibald-Varley joined community groups and localrabbis at city hall on Friday to call for tougher laws.

"I had to explain racism to my children at seven and 10 years old ... I even hadmy daughterask me this morning, 'Why do people hate us because of the colour of our skin?'"Archibald-Varley said.

The group of community leadersvoiced support forBill C-229,a private member's bill that would codify hate symbols like flags into existing legislation and make it easier for police to take action.

"The [hate crime] data can't speak to the trauma, doesn't hold individuals accountable that's why we need legislation to hold individuals accountable," said Lyndon George, executive director of the Hamilton Anti-Racism Resource Centre.

Kojo Damptey, executive director of the Hamilton Centre For Civic Inclusion, said the city should impose a bylaw to ban hate symbols on private property, in addition to the existing bylaw that bans hate symbols on city-owned land.

Eisenberger said he's unsure if the city could impose that bylaw or if it would even be enforceable.

Some also shared their own experiences with racism and their thoughts on the Confederate flag sighting.

"Just yesterday we commemorated Holocaust Memorial Day for those that know history, itall starts with rhetoric and symbols and if we don't stop at the points of rhetoric and symbols, we've lost this game," said Rabbi Daniel Green, with theAdas Israel Congregation in Hamilton.

Rabbi Hillel Lavery-Yisraeli with Hamilton's Beth Jacob Synagoguetold reporters his family was heckled on the weekend for being visibly Jewish.

He said Black, Indigenous, queer, Muslim, Jewish, Hindu, Sikh people and immigrants do not feel safe in Hamilton, calling it "a mark of shame."

He said it's everyone's responsibility to work together to change that.

"There can be nothing more urgent, no cause cause more worth investing money, time, effort and education in,"Lavery-Yisraeli said.