During the OCPC investigation Kroetsch is required to step away from his duties as a member of the HPSB, and he is thus suspended until the inquiry is complete. Photo Credit: City of Hamilton.
Downtown Hamilton Councillor Cameron Kroetsch (Ward 2) is under investigation by the Ontario Civilian Police Commission (OCPC) after a complaint was made against him by the Hamilton Police Services Board (HPSB).
During the OCPC investigation Kroetsch is required to step away from his duties as a member of the HPSB, and he is thus suspended until the inquiry is complete.
Kroetsch posted a long explanation of the saga on X (formerly Twitter).
He wrote: “On November 20, 2023, HPSB Member and Chair Pat Mandy circulated a complaint to HPSB members alleging I contravened the Board’s Code of Conduct by – (1) bringing a motion to the City’s Audit, Finance, and Administration Committee asking the City to direct the use of HPSB and Hamilton Public Library Board (HPLB) budget surpluses and (2) making public comments on social media that were critical of the Board’s budgetary processes.”
“Then, on December 14, 2023, the HPSB requested the OCPC conduct an investigation into these matters.”
It appears that the OCPC has now decided to move forward with an official investigation.
While the complaint has not been made public, CBC Hamilton has reported that Kroetsch is accused of violating the code of conduct by “failing to discharge his duties ‘loyally, faithfully, impartially’ in line with the Police Services Act, and failed to ‘inspire public confidence in the abilities and integrity of the Board.’”
Kroetsch has long been critical of the police and the HPSB, particularly during the 2024 budget process and has also long affiliated himself with events, rallies, groups, and activists who have expressed support for abolishing and dismantling the police.
As part of the investigation, the OCPC will decide whether or not to move forward with a hearing or dismiss the complaint against Kroetsch.
Procedurally, a hearing is required to permanently remove Kroetsch from the Board.
Kroetsch calls the situation “procedurally unfair, an abuse of process, biased, and personally motivated.”
He has posted updates regarding the investigation to his social media account on X, although he has notably restricted the public from writing comments on his posts.
It remains to be seen what the OCPC will ultimately decide.
Based in Hamilton, he reaches hundreds of thousands of people monthly on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter. He has been published in The Hamilton Spectator, Stoney Creek News, and Bay Observer. He has also been a segment host with Cable 14 Hamilton. In 2017, he received the Chancellor Full Tuition Scholarship from the University of Ottawa (BA, 2022). He has also received the Governor General’s Academic Medal. He formerly worked in a non-partisan role on Parliament Hill in Ottawa.
