Hamilton's new police chief on marijuana, carding, misconduct

Hamilton's newly appointed police chief, Eric Girt, is taking over one of the biggest police forces in Ontario at a time when the whole law governing their work the provincialPolice Services Act is being rewritten.

The service hasmultiple officers embroiled inmisconduct cases. Officer morale was judged by a survey to be low.A meeting at city hall last fall revealed fractured relationships with Hamilton's diverse communities over the practice of street checks or carding.

Girt agreed to a one-on-one interview with CBC Hamilton about the opportunities and challenges he faces in taking over the force.

Girt became deputy chief in 2006 after 20 years before that with the service.

He grew up in Hamilton and said the city's "rejuvenation" is a priority for him, for police to help people feel safe and eager to invest and develop the city.

What keeps him up at night? Missing persons cases, especially in cases of mental illness.

Here are some highlights of his interview with CBC Hamilton's Kelly Bennett.

Girt on being called a 'softer' chief than his predecessor

Chief Girt on being called a 'softer' chief

8 years ago

Duration 0:44

Hamilton Police Chief Eric Girt in a one-on-one interview with CBC HamiltonThe chair of the police services board, Coun. Lloyd Ferguson, said the day ofGirt's appointment as chief that he'd bringa "softer style" to running the force than the previous chief, GlennDe Caire.

"We took seriouslythe association survey when they said that morale is low," Ferguson said.

• READ MORE:Eric Girt brings 'softer style' as Hamilton's new police chief

Girt on Canada's changingmarijuana laws

Chief Girt on marijuana: 'We enforce the laws that exist today'

8 years ago

Duration 0:31

CBC Hamilton sits down with newly appointed Hamilton Police Chief Eric Girt.Most marijuana possession charges laid by Hamilton police in 2014 were dropped by the courts even thoughpolice enforcement has been skyrocketingand investigators have continued toto crack down on the city's pot smokers.

Girt offered what he thinks the service should do in the transition between federal promisesto legalize marijuana, and the laws as they're written.

• READ MORE:Courts drop most pot possession charges laid by Hamilton police

Girt on policing in a diverse city

Chief Girt on police interaction with racial communities

8 years ago

Duration 1:28

Hamilton Police Chief Eric Girt in a one-on-one interview with CBC HamiltonLast fall, Coun. Ferguson said that the force had work to do on its relationship with diverse communities in Hamilton.

Ferguson said then that criticism about the street checks/carding practice, among other allegations of racial insensitivity,hadgiven him pause.

"Have we got work to do? Absolutely," he said last fall. "Particularly around this whole racial thing. I think we need to work harder at that. You know, I need to work harder at that, as does the entire board, as does the entire service. Because even if it's just a perception, we've got to put a better message out there."

In his interview with CBC Hamilton, Girt reiterated a point he made the day he was sworn in, that a priority for him is educating newcomer communities about how policing works in Canada.

Girt on distrustovercarding/street checks

Chief Girt on carding/street checks and hurt relationships

8 years ago

Duration 0:59

CBC HamiltonAs CBC Hamilton revealed that Hamilton Police were stopping people who weren't necessarily under investigation and recording their ID, anti-racism advocates called on the service to collect racial identifiers to be able to analyze the impact of the practice.

Police in Hamilton had been saying for years thatthey don't keep race-based statistics. Keeping that datawould mean the cops couldprovide the kind of breakdown that has led to criticisms in Toronto, Kingston and Ottawa.

But Girt, as deputy chief, revealed in a presentation that the service was in fact able to do a racial analysis of the practice because the service had been collecting those identifiers.

That led to distrust from the community of advocates who had called for an end to the practice. KayonneChristy, a co-organizer of the initial "Black, Brown, Red Lives Matter" march that called for an end to carding, said in a community forum last fall that the police service had lied to her.

CBC Hamilton asked Girt how he would've handled the communication if he'd been chief.

• READ MORE: Carding in Hamilton: 5 things we learned
• READ MORE: Police street stops: Making the case for keeping race data

Girt on officer misconduct and the service's response

Chief Girt on officer misconduct/sexual assault allegations

8 years ago

Duration 2:38

CBC Hamilton's one-on-one interview with Hamilton Police Chief Eric Girt.CBC Hamilton recently obtained confidential reports by the Office of the Independent Police Review Director, which substantiated complaints of misconduct and breach of trust against the late Staff Sgt. IanMatthews, and outlined a police process in 2013 in which Matthews was about to be notified he was under investigation when he died by suicide.

For that story, CBC Hamilton sent a list of specific questions to Hamilton Police.In response, the police servicesaid in a statement that they arebound by secrecy in the police complaint process and would not comment about the case.

We asked Girt if there was something he would like to say generally about what happens in cases where someone makes allegations against an officer that are substantiated.

• READ MORE: Sex, drugs scandal casts shadow on prominent cop, notorious temple arson
• READ MORE:Police meet with Hindu temple leaders after sex scandal breaks

Have a question you think we should have asked? Or a tip about a police-related story in Hamilton? Email kelly.bennett@cbc.ca.