Hamilton Police wants to increase downtown core patrol program

At a police services board meeting on Thursday, Hamilton Police said it wants to continue, and possibly even expand the so-called core patrol. 

The core patrol is a pilot program that assigns two dedicated officers to focus on part of downtown Hamilton. The program was created to address the safety and security concerns of several businesses.

The comments were prompted by a letter from two downtown businesses who want the program to continue because they say a greater police presence is needed.

“People on the street that might be a little bit aggressive to customers and staff is something that we need protection from,” said Troy Thompson from G.W. Thompson Jeweller & Pawnbroker.

Thompson’s concerns about safety and crime outside his King Street East business helped lead to the core patrol’s establishment last June.

Focused on the area bordered by Wellington Street to Bay Street and Cannon Street to Hunter Street, though he thinks more officers are needed in the program. 

Thompson says, “two people is just not enough to be able to man the downtown core, so we’ve asked for more.” He wants the pilot program to become permanent, “having the uniform presence on the street is 100% a positive, just a little bit feeling comfortable that ya know the police are there,” he says.

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Thompson also believes crime issues downtown have affected his business.

Troy along with Denninger’s grocery store, located down the street, penned a letter to the police services board asking for the program to continue and expand. 

Dated Jan. 24 the letter cites, the increasing social issues of homelessness, addictions, and mental health that we were experiencing daily. As the initial reason for a core patrol last year.

The letter also writes: unfortunately, we have not seen the core patrol as frequently recently and we have seen an increase in the frequency of incidents at our downtown business locations.

Identifying those incidents as, theft, harassment, substance abuse and intoxication, overdoses in washrooms, and threats of violence to staff and customers.

The letter was discussed at Thursday’s police services board meeting and Police Chief Frank Bergen says he wants to continue the program.

“It’s something that I will make sure that we work together with our team to continue that practice and wherever possible expand that,” said Hamilton Police Chief Frank Bergen.

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Deputy Chief Ryan Diodati says staffing the program can be a challenge.

“Our downtown core, our central division has a minimum staffing of 16 officers so we have to make sure that we’re meeting that standard,” said Deputy Chief Diodati.

Deputy Chief Diodati, who believes the program can help with crime prevention says, “if people know that there are police in the core, and are close, that may prevent crime.”

Hamilton Police Board member Anjali Menezes questioned if the program is the best way to address the social problems downtown businesses are concerned about.

Menezes said, “homelessness, addictions, mental health, you know that shouldn’t be the primary role of policing.”

Police say, core patrol officers also provide a connection to its social navigator program, as well as the rapid intervention and support team to ensure the most vulnerable community members are getting the support they need.