Hamilton Police are reporting a modest decrease in incidents with “hate/bias overtones.”
An annual report, to be presented to the city’s police services board on Thursday afternoon, says there were five hate crimes in Hamilton last year which matches the number from 2017.
Det. Paul Corrigan says the number of incidents with hate/bias overtones, which police suspect but can’t prove were motivated by prejudices, dropped to 125 from 136.
In explaining the difference, Corrigan says that if somebody is assaulted because of their religion or ethnicity, that’s a race crime. He adds that graffiti on a building that includes a racial slur is not a hate crime since “we can’t prove the motivation.”
LISTEN BELOW: Hamilton police Detective Paul Corrigan from the hate crimes unit talks to Global News Radio 900 CHML’s Bill Kelly
Corrigan says the most frequently targeted group continues to be the black community, accounting for 41 incidents in 2018, while the Jewish community was targeted 30 times last year, representing a 25 per cent increase.