Local businesses have continuously asked HPS to expand the program. Photo Credit: Hamilton Police Service.
Hamilton Police Service (HPS) recently announced that they have decided to triple the size of their downtown Core Patrol program.
The move will see Core Patrol expand from two officers to six officers in order to “address requests for increased police presence in the downtown core,” said an HPS press release.
Core Patrol was originally introduced in June 2023 as a pilot program.
Two officers would monitor the downtown, primarily on foot, from Monday to Friday between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.
The schedule then changed to rotating 10-hour shifts covering Monday to Saturday.
The introduction of the program came after requests for more patrols from multiple businesses in Downtown Hamilton including both downtown BIA executive directors.
Officers specifically patrol the area from Wellington to Bay and Cannon to Hunter, engaging with individuals and businesses.
But local businesses continued to ask for HPS to expand the program, resulting in this most recent announcement.
The six officers are split up into three teams and there is now increased coverage throughout the day and night, although police have not given any new insight into the patrol schedule.
HPS will also be initiating a trial using their Remotely Piloted Aircraft System (RPAS), or drone, to “enhance” their ability “to dispatch and respond appropriately to calls for service in the downtown core.”
They note that there will be no recording via the device unless a criminal offence is committed where evidence is required.
“Expanding our Core Patrol is a crucial step in our commitment to ensuring that downtown Hamilton remains a thriving and vibrant place for everyone,” said HPS Chief Frank Bergen.
“By working collaboratively with our community partners, we’re focused on enhancing safety and supporting growth and vitality of our city’s core,” he continued.
Bergen also emphasized that HPS has “empathy for those affected by addiction, mental illness and homelessness” and that they continue to offer support through their Social Navigator and Rapid Intervention and Support Team (RIST).”
“The path forward to these issues is complex but Hamilton Police Service is committed to collaborating on a downtown solution to make it a welcoming space for everyone,” he concluded.
While downtown workers and businesses have told Hamilton City Council about their safety concerns in the area and asked for more police, in contrast, Downtown Hamilton Councillor Cameron Kroetsch (Ward 2) appears to be against the Core Patrol program.
Kroetsch, who brought forward multiple motions to reduce HPS funding in the 2024 budget process, has said that he is “deeply concerned about the beat cop process.”
He also suggested that multiple community members “don’t feel safe” around police.
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.
