At a recent General Issues Committee meeting, Hamilton City Council received an update on encampment enforcement and also decided to continue funding six police officers to respond to complaints.
The funding motion passed on an 11-3 vote.
Staff reported that since the rescinding of the city’s Encampment Protocol, which allowed encampments in parks with restrictions, enforcement of the parks bylaw has been the “main tool for addressing encampments.”
Enforcement is supported by the Coordinated Encampment Response Team, which includes municipal law enforcement from licensing and bylaw services, animal services, park staff, housing outreach workers, and Hamilton Police Service.
The Encampment Protocol was rescinded in March 2025, at which time Council approved funding to increase the number of Hamilton Police Service Constables on the Coordinated Encampment Response team from two to six in order to enforce park by-laws.
Staff recommended that Council opt to continue funding six officers until the end of 2025.
Only three Councillors, Cameron Kroetsch (Ward 2 – Downtown Hamilton), Nrinder Nann (Ward 3 – East Hamilton Centre), and Alex Wilson (Ward 13 – Dundas-Central Flamborough) voted against the recommendation from staff.
Kroetsch said he believes that the money spent on encampment enforcement should instead be used to connect people with housing.
Staff explained that ending the funding commitment would “extend timelines in order for us to get to and resolve an encampment situation at a park.”
Since the shift back to enforcement, the city has cleared 898 encampments and received 3,099 complaints.
Staff add that over 240 tonnes of waste have been removed and thousands of complaints have been addressed.
At the same time, housing outreach staff have continued to work on connecting people in encampments with shelter and housing options.
HPS Superintendent David Hennick also informed Council that police have arrested 49 people at encampments, primarily for open drug use, and have executed nine warrants for people who were wanted on outstanding criminal charges.
Police have also recovered four imitation firearms, recovered two cans of bear spray and arrested one person for drug trafficking.
Acting Director of Licensing and By-Law Services Dan Smith added that enforcement has “stretched staff resources, slowed response times on other bylaw services, and raised challenges such as encampments being re-established after removal, encampments appearing in hard-to-reach sites, and public frustration about delays.”
Those reasons informed staff’s recommendation to continue funding six officers.
With the motion approved by Council, the Coordinated Encampment Response Team will continue to consist of six police constables, six law enforcement officers and four park staff, with assistance from contractors as needed.
Encampment and parks by-law violations can be reported via encampments@hamilton.ca or 905-546-2782 Ext. 1.
VOTING RESULTS
IN FAVOUR (11): Maureen Wilson (Ward 1 – Chedoke-Cootes-Westdale), Matt Francis (Ward 5 – Hamilton East-Stoney Creek), Tom Jackson (Ward 6 – East Mountain), Esther Pauls (Ward 7 – Central Mountain), Rob Cooper (Ward 8 – West/Central Mountain), Brad Clark (Ward 9 – Upper Stoney Creek), Jeff Beattie (Ward 10 – Stoney Creek-Fruitland-Winona), Mark Tadeson (Ward 11 – Glanbrook-Binbrook-Mount Hope), Craig Cassar (Ward 12 – Ancaster-West Flamborough), Mike Spadafora (Ward 14 – West Mountain), Mayor Andrea Horwath.
AGAINST (3): Cameron Kroetsch (Ward 2 – Downtown Hamilton), Nrinder Nann (Ward 3 – East Hamilton Centre), Alex Wilson (Ward 13 – Dundas-Central Flamborough).
ABSENT (2): Tammy Hwang (Ward 4 – Hamilton East), Ted McMeekin (Ward 15 – East Flamborough-Waterdown).
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.
