Ward 2 Residents Deserve a Councillor Who Can Collaborate with Police.

By Kelly and Bert Oucharek

While I don’t expect Councillor Kroetsch to don a superman cape and fight crime, what are reasonable expectations of our downtown Councillor during his last 18 months on council? I would hope that our elected official would work to foster a collaborative relationship with Hamilton Police Service (HPS).

I think we can all agree that HPS has the primary responsibility for safety in our communities, but this doesn’t negate the roles of other community stakeholders, including our elected official. I also acknowledge the benefit of crisis workers working in tandem with HPS to de-escalate and support individuals experiencing mental health crises.

Delving into the statistics presented by Chief Frank Bergen during his 2025 Budget presentation, confirms, and paints a picture for everyone else, what Ward 2 residents already know – that living here is increasingly unsafe. Notice I didn’t say feels unsafe. (to read the report and see the data (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UqaGdNx2uZ4&t=20679s, beginning at the 2hr 20 min mark)

What should be a simple walk to the park, a quick trip to the grocery store, or a routine bus ride through downtown has increasingly become an anxiety-inducing experience, where we are on constant alert for personal safety.

Here’s a recap of what was presented.

1. The highest number of calls for service were from Ward 2.
2. When comparing 12 neighboring municipalities, Hamilton ranks 5/12 on the Crime Severity Index (The crime severity index includes all Criminal Code violations including traffic, as well as drug violations and all Federal Statutes.). More concerning, Hamilton ranks 4/12 on the Violent (person to person) Crime Severity Index.
3. Encampment associated stats: 76% increase in attending parks along with paramedics, a staggering 304% increase in encampment fires and an 81% increase in property crime
4. Hamilton ranks 4^th lowest in cost per resident for police investment.

All this, coupled with the gun violence concentrated in the lower city, leaves Ward 2 residents and businesses deserving more when it comes to safety and advocacy. Considering Ward 2 has had the lion’s share of encampments, our concerns have been woefully under represented.

The Councillor mentions holding 60 community engagement meetings yet does not grasp that hearing community concerns is not the same as listening and acting on them. I don’t fault him for caring about the unhoused—in fact, it could be seen as a commendable quality. However, that concern becomes problematic when it comes at the expense of broader community safety.

As the Councillor states, there is a lot of work ahead and that it will only be solved by working together. Community safety is a shared responsibility, which must include our police service, community members as well as our elected officials. This means working collaboratively and not in isolation.

Going forward, suggestions for fostering positive, professional relationships with HPS could look like:

1. Planning joint community meetings where respectful dialogue can happen between all parties, fostering trust within the community
2. Championing programs with the goals of increasing law enforcement and provide opportunity for relationship building with HPS within the community. (think youth mentorship, participation in community events, educational programs)
3. Leveraging the Councillor’s platform to bridge relationships within Ward 2’s diverse communities rather than dividing them.
4. Advocating safety at Council. The Councillor’s ongoing votes for allowing encampments in public parks and spaces—effectively transforming recreational areas into hotspots for crime—demonstrates a clear failure to listen to the concerns of our community.

The Councillor writes that the Community Safety and Policing Act makes it clear that only the Chief can make decisions related to crime and public safety. However, the Community Safety and Well-Being Plan adopted by the City of Hamilton states “support safe and healthy communities through a community-based approach to address root causes of complex social issues.”

Though the Councillor has stated he “doesn’t ever see a time where he will ask for their [police] help,” and continues to actively promote defunding  the police, https://hamiltonindependent.ca/councillor- cameron-kroetschs-last-ditch-attempt-to-defund-the-police-fails-with-little-support/ (Geenan, Kevin, Feb 2025), this won’t solve the issues facing Ward 2 residents. There are only 18 months left in the Councillor’s term. There is still time to turn the ship around for the betterment of Ward 2 residents and businesses, by working with our police service. As residents, we expect nothing less.

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the policy or position of the North End Breezes. We encourage diverse perspectives and open dialogue within our community”.