For the fourth consecutive year, the Hamilton police report showed black people in Hamilton were woefully over-represented during police interactions.
Black people made up 17 percent of incidents where use-of-force was used, despite only making up 5 percent of the city’s total population.
Police reported a slight decrease in those statistics from last year but still topped this year’s list when compared to other races.
Right behind the Black population, were Middle Eastern and Indigenous people, who saw increases year over year.
Hamilton police say use-of-force is defined as whenever an officer draws, points, or discharges on a subject during an interaction along with using physicality that results in injury and the need for medical treatment.
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In 2020, the Province mandated that race-based data involving police officers be collected.
There were 265 use-of-force incidents in 2023, which spawned 361 reports submitted to the Province.
Hamilton police announced earlier this year the implementation of a community advisory panel that includes racialized people in Hamilton to help work through the data.
Police say the 10-person committee has already held its first meeting.
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