WATCH ABOVE: Hamilton City Councillor Matthew Green is criticizing the police chief for distributing a “racially charged” email written by an unidentified resident, sent the day after a teen was shot and killed last month. Chief Glenn De Caire says his note is not an endorsement of the resident’s opinion. Lama Nicolas has the story.
TORONTO — A Hamilton city councillor says a “racially charged” email from a resident that was allegedly forwarded from the city’s police chief to members of the Police Services Board is “problematic” for the community.
Councillor Mathew Green said the email included a note from an unnamed resident who thanked police after the shooting death of an 18-year-old man on Aug. 12.
“I just wanted to say thank you to the Hamilton Police for all the hard work they are doing in regards to this senseless killing,” the email from the resident read.
“I also wanted to say that I believe it is time for these black kids to stop blaming the police for the problems and take responsibility for the actions of the youth.”
The email was allegedly forwarded on to other members of the board by Police Chief Glenn De Caire, who added a personal note to the email and signed it.
“All of our officers that responded to the recent homicide did a great job,” the note read. “Keep up the good work.”
Green said the email from the resident was presented to him by a local newspaper and he believes it contained “racial undertones.”
“It does pit the community against the force and that’s not something I want to see.”
Green added that the allegations, that the email was then forwarded on to other officers by the chief, were “shocking.”
“I find it shocking that internal communication would’ve been signed off on and distributed through the police service,” he said.
“Just from a place of leadership, a place of competency, understanding the issue around carding, I find it extremely problematic.”
De Caire said in a statement that it’s the practice for the chief to “communicate community feedback directly to the membership.”
“As is evident from the Chief’s hand written message, he is specifically recognizing the hard work of the members in relation to the August 12, 2015 homicide of Shariek Douse,” he said.
“Community members express their personal opinions about a wide variety of issues, however, the Chief’s note was not, in any way, an endorsement of that citizens opinion.”
De Caire said his note “very clearly acknowledges” that the officers did a great job in responding to what was a “very serious, emotionally charged scene.”
Anyone with information on this homicide is asked to contact Det. Ben Adams of the Homicide Unit at 905-546-3836. To provide information anonymously you can do so by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or by submitting information online at http://crimestoppershamilton.com.
With files from Lama Nicolas
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