[31:56] Good afternoon, Kirsten. I got to start over again. I
[32:03] have to do that. Good afternoon, Kirsten. Can you please
[32:07] confirm way of quorum. Through you, Chair, we do have
[32:11] quorum. I will now call a meeting daughter. Our meetings,
[32:15] our webcast live temporarily archived on the board's website presentations
[32:20] and reports considered at today's meeting are available on our
[32:23] website. And members of the public may contact the executive
[32:26] director to acquire documents in an alternate format. A reminder
[32:31] to everyone that electronic devices should be switched to the
[32:34] non - audible function during our meetings. I would like
[32:43] do the land acknowledgement now. Thank you, and three, you
[32:49] chair. And I'm just going to share something that our
[32:52] commitment does aboard to continuously learning on our path to
[32:55] reconciliation. You know, today we're going to switch it up
[32:58] and also share resource that has helped the land acknowledgement
[33:01] today. So it was really great resources called NativeLand. ca.
[33:06] And they have an actual, some directions on how can
[33:11] we craft meaningful land acknowledgments. It starts with recognising our
[33:15] position to this land acknowledging, right? The land that we're
[33:20] on. But also a statement of our intentions, interactions. So
[33:26] let's begin with that. So we recognise our position as
[33:29] settlers on the land here. It's the City of Hamilton.
[33:33] The traditional territories of the eerie here on Wendet initionabe
[33:38] HudinesTene and Mississaugas of the new credit. This land is
[33:41] covered by the dish with one spoon womp in agreement.
[33:45] And agreement to peacefully share the lands and the resources
[33:47] around the great lakes. This land is also covered by
[33:51] between the lake purchases of 1792 between the crown and
[33:56] the Mississaugas of the new credit. And our intentions of
[34:00] recognising this land is how we foresee or how I
[34:06] foresee. You know, one of the essential steps in towards
[34:09] reconciliation, right? Is recognising the folks and the peoples and
[34:14] the heritage of this land. And our intention that, you
[34:18] know, in the actions that I like to take for
[34:19] it is learning and meaningfully incorporating some of the lessons
[34:23] from our indigenous colleagues and folks in this area. So
[34:29] the one that is hitting home for me today is
[34:33] the concept of mutuality, right? That, especially with the dishes
[34:37] one spoon, womp and agreement that not only do we
[34:40] share all the resources around this, these lands, um, because
[34:43] it's the right thing to do. But because our, our,
[34:46] our survival is interdependent. Um, it is, it is with
[34:51] me challenging that we will, the only way for it
[34:54] is mutuality, um, and so that I think given the
[34:58] topics on the agenda today, um, bears residents with me.
[35:01] Thank you. Thank you. At this time, I'd like everyone
[35:07] to join me in a moment of silence as we
[35:10] honour the memory of three fallen officers who dedicated their
[35:14] lives to serving and protecting their communities. Ontario, police constable
[35:20] Tyrone by Lee. Toronto police service constable Mark. Pinazato. And
[35:28] Montreal police service constable Mohammed Benrandon lost their lives in
[35:35] the line of duty. These offers officers answering a calling
[35:40] that demanded courage commitments, sacrifice and remind us of the
[35:45] risk of police officers face each day in performing their
[35:49] duties. As we reflect, we hold their family, friends, and
[35:54] colleagues in our thoughts. If you would please stand and
[35:57] join me in a moment of silence.
[36:27] Thank you. The last month's been a tough month to
[36:35] be a police officer. And to recognise the sacrifices that
[36:40] you people make for us every day. I know I
[36:45] can speak for myself. I want to say thank you.
[36:48] I know I watched the news coverage last night on
[36:51] CH. And, uh, when I saw one of my former
[36:56] players, Jay Penizato speaking about his brother. It brought me
[37:03] to tears. So I get it. And you guys got
[37:07] a tough job. And many are grateful. And today. Maybe
[37:13] a bit more than every other day, but thank you
[37:14] for what you do. In order to keep our meetings
[37:21] running smoothly and to be fair to everyone, I'd like
[37:23] to remind the members that there is a five minute
[37:25] speaking limit. I've been lenient in speaking times in the
[37:29] past moving forward will be adhering to our procedural bylaw.
[37:34] For those not familiar with our bylaws, C section 198.
[37:38] 8 and 19. 10. No members shall speak more, more
[37:44] than once on the same question or motion, below approval
[37:47] of the board. And no members shall speak to the
[37:49] same question or motion. Or in reply for more than
[37:52] five minutes at a time. Recognising that sometimes the answers
[37:57] could eat up moisture time and that'll certainly be taken
[37:59] into consideration. That's all part and parcel of the deal.
[38:01] Right. So. Um. Kirsten, is there any changes to the
[38:08] agenda? Through you chair, there are two changes to the
[38:11] agenda. We have, um, an amended recommendation item 9. 1.
[38:16] That's the 2025 year - end report use of force.
[38:19] There was an added appendix B. And then we have
[38:23] revised recommendation item 9. 3, which is the 2025 annual
[38:27] report, minor revisions were made to the final copy. Thank
[38:30] you. Okay. Can I get a mover. Seconder.
[38:40] Sorry. Remember Padulo. Any discussion on the matters. Yes. Thank
[38:50] you for you, Chair. I'd like to move add a
[38:53] statement of my resignation shorter than the land acknowledgement. I
[38:59] just remarked on. So, you know, I've served at the
[39:03] Citizen appointee on this board since November 2023. And I'm
[39:07] the first citizen appointee to be nominated by a groundbreaking
[39:10] collaborative committee of both diverse citizens and city councillors. A
[39:15] courageous attempt from our city to redefine its relationship between
[39:20] the Hamilton police and the public it serves. And I
[39:24] entered this role deeply aware that large segments of our
[39:27] community harbour a profound mistrust of law enforcement. And I
[39:32] hoped that I could bring both accountability and transparency to
[39:35] this role to better address the hate in our city
[39:38] and to work towards finding common ground, right? Building bridges
[39:41] between the widening divides in our city. But that hope
[39:46] has been extinguished. I've experienced persistent mistreatment from colleagues, including
[39:51] ongoing commentary that is exclusionary patronizing and focused on my
[39:55] identity. But my personal treatment is non - isolated issue.
[40:00] Instead, it reflects how this governing body views and treats
[40:02] marginalized communities in Hamilton. This board is actively presided over
[40:06] a profound failure of institutional oversight, including a disregard of
[40:09] the importance of violations of our charter rights. A denial
[40:14] of our community realities and unaddressed systemic disparities. With visibility
[40:20] that is afforded by this role comes responsibility to model
[40:24] respectful, collaborative, transparent and accountable governance. And I have a
[40:29] responsibility to maintain public trust not just in policing, but
[40:32] in integrity of this board and the legitimacy of its
[40:34] actions, I refuse to continue validating my continued mistreatment in
[40:38] these failures of governance through my silence. And so today
[40:41] nearly three years into, uh, my, my term on this
[40:45] board, is it is with profound sadness and disappointment that
[40:48] I must announce my resignation as a citizen appointee to
[40:52] the Hamilton Police Services Board effective immediately. I'm grateful to
[40:57] all of the community who has stood behind me and
[41:00] supported me throughout that my time on this board. I
[41:03] would not be here today if not for the community
[41:07] that is back to me. And so, you know, I've
[41:10] kept my comments brief in light of, uh, you know,
[41:13] the board chairs, um, remarks. Um, but, you know, at
[41:18] this point I, I welcome any members of the press
[41:22] and any members of the community who stand behind me
[41:25] to meet me outside for my full remarks. Thank you.
[41:43] Is there any other discussion on the motion.
[42:01] So we don't have, uh, quorum now. And this being
[42:09] new to me, that means we can't proceed any further
[42:11] until member Spadaforic. Comes. Or. Rece.
[42:24] Probably a good plan. So I'm going to propose that
[42:27] we recess for. 15 minutes. And then we'll come back.
[1:10:01] Thank you. I'll move through the agenda as we'd started
[1:10:08] it. And a member of St. Gene and moved second
[1:10:17] member of Padulo second at the update in the agenda.
[1:10:22] We had some discussion, is there any further discussion. All
[1:10:26] in favor. Proved. Are there any declaration and conflict of
[1:10:33] interest by the members. Seeing none. Member of the month,
[1:10:39] I'll call on Chief Bergen to introduce the presenter for
[1:10:41] member of the month. Thank you, Chair, and through the
[1:10:45] chair, I'd like to call upon Inspector Greg Dewar to
[1:10:48] introduce the member of the month. Good afternoon, police service
[1:10:56] board chair. Police service board members, Chief Bergen. Deputy Chief
[1:11:00] Deodattie, acting deputy chief abbot. Senior officers, Hamilton Police Service
[1:11:05] members and members of the public. My name is Greg
[1:11:08] Dewar and I'm the chair of the Hamilton Police Service
[1:11:09] Awards Committee. Today I joined you to share the member
[1:11:13] of the month award which celebrates extraordinary acts by Hamilton
[1:11:16] Police Service members and is my honour and pleasure. To
[1:11:19] announce the March member of the month. Acting sergeant Mark
[1:11:22] Steeds. If you could join me down here, please, Mark.
[1:11:28] In February, 2026, Acting Sergeant Mark Steeds demonstrated outstanding professionalism,
[1:11:33] leadership and life - saving skill during two separate medical
[1:11:36] emergencies exemplifying the highest standards of the Hamilton Police Service.
[1:11:42] On February 2nd, while petroleum near the Salvation Army on
[1:11:45] York Boulevard, he and Cadet Miranda Anderson encountered an individual
[1:11:48] in medical crisis following suspected overdose. Despite numerous unsuccessful NERCAN
[1:11:55] attempts acting sergeant seeds, immediately took over chest compressions while
[1:11:59] cadet Anderson managed Communications and Scene Control. He continued CPR
[1:12:04] until paramedics arrived and then assisted EMS as they prepared
[1:12:07] the patient for defibrillation. Ultimately, helping restore a faint pulse
[1:12:12] before transport to hospital. Later that month on February 23rd,
[1:12:18] acting sergeant seeds and cadet Owen Simpson responded to a
[1:12:21] collapsed male inside a metro grocery store on Barton Street
[1:12:23] East. Acting Sergeant Steeds provided ventilations with a bag involved
[1:12:28] mask while Cadette Simpson performed continuous chest compressions, maintaining coordinated
[1:12:33] CPR until paramedics delivered at defibrillator shock and assumed care.
[1:12:38] In both instances, acting sergeant Steeds remained calm, decisive, and
[1:12:42] highly effective demonstrating exceptional teamwork, medical proficiency and dedication to
[1:12:47] community safety. His actions directly contributed to giving both patients
[1:12:51] the best possible chance for survival. Acting Sergeant Mark's seats,
[1:12:56] thank you for demonstrating the Hamilton Polic Service values of
[1:12:58] professionalism and dedication. Your efforts made a difference. Thank you
[1:13:03] for all that you do, and congratulations on being in
[1:13:05] the march, member of the month.
[1:13:19] Okay. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you very
[1:13:24] much. They're. All good, you're there.
[1:13:41] Thank. You for joining. Us. Thank you. Thanks Mark. Pretty
[1:13:43] good. Thank you.
[1:14:28] Thank you. We'll give the chair to verbal update at
[1:14:31] this point in time. From June 1st through third members.
[1:14:36] Padulo and Spadafora and myself executive director Stevenson attended the
[1:14:41] police governance of Ontario Annual Spring Conference and Niagara Falls.
[1:14:45] Vice Chair Paul's attended the interval house drives for lives
[1:14:50] golf tournament on June 3rd, Vice Chair Paul's also attended
[1:14:53] the Hamilton leadership. Prayer breakfast on June 4th, Vice President
[1:15:00] Paul. She'd been busy. Member Spada for executive director Stevenson
[1:15:04] and I attended the Hamilton Police Service Spring Bad Ceremony
[1:15:08] on June 4th. On June 15th. I attended a meeting
[1:15:12] the Inspector General Halton Toronto along with board chairs and
[1:15:15] chiefs concerning the growth of anti - Semitism and hate
[1:15:19] - based incidents across Ontario. Vice chair Paul's attended the
[1:15:24] Hamilton. Police retirees golf tournament on June 22nd. I attended
[1:15:30] the NEGBED dinner on June 22nd. May I please have
[1:15:37] a mover and a second to receive the chair's report.
[1:15:41] Moved by member St. Gene, seconded by member Padulo. Any
[1:15:46] discussion. All in favor. Posed. Carried. I'll call on the
[1:15:56] chief to provide his update. Thank you, Chair, and through
[1:16:01] the chair. On June 22nd, we opened the downtown substation
[1:16:05] at two King Street West in Jackson Square, creating a
[1:16:09] dedicated police presence in the heart of the city's downtown
[1:16:13] Corps. The new substation responds directly to its concerns raised
[1:16:17] by downtown businesses, residents, service providers, and Community Partners about
[1:16:22] safety. Visibility, and the need for stronger connections in the
[1:16:25] core. As this board is aware, Hamilton police hosted the
[1:16:29] downtown safety summit bringing together a broad cross - section
[1:16:32] of downtown partners to discuss the challenges facing the area
[1:16:36] and identify practical steps to support us safer, more vibrant
[1:16:40] and welcoming downtown. One of the action items identified through
[1:16:43] that process was exploring the feasibility of a downtown police
[1:16:48] substation. 3, 504 square foot substation will be staffed using
[1:16:54] current Hamilton Police resources. As chief, I will not be
[1:16:58] coming to this board with a request for additional dollars.
[1:17:02] The City at Hamilton is leasing this base for one
[1:17:04] dollar per year over the next two years from Jackson
[1:17:07] Square. Capital and operating costs are also being covered by
[1:17:11] the city. We heard clearly from businesses and residents that
[1:17:15] are stronger, police present downtown matters. The new substation will
[1:17:19] be open from Monday to Saturday, 8 a. m. to
[1:17:22] 6 p. m. There'll be one officer permanently stationed on
[1:17:26] - site with two additional officers conducting patrols in the
[1:17:29] surrounding area. This deployment will be supported by Corps Patrol,
[1:17:33] MSERT, the social navigator, encampment engagement team, and Youth Engagement
[1:17:38] team. Members of the Community are welcome to visit the
[1:17:41] substation and can buzz in through the front entrance. We're
[1:17:45] also committed to utilise this space for community meetings. The
[1:17:49] substation puts our officers closer to the people we serve
[1:17:52] increases visibility and strengthens our work with partners to keep
[1:17:56] downtown Hamilton safe. Vibrant, and a welcoming place for everyone.
[1:18:02] Also a product of the Community Safety Summit. We hosted
[1:18:05] a meeting last week with public prosecution service of Canada.
[1:18:09] The PPSC handles prosecution for federal statutes such as charges
[1:18:14] under the controlled drug and substance act, including trafficking in
[1:18:18] narcotics. We know many serious cases notably involving the trafficking
[1:18:22] of fentanyl have been stayed or withdrawn likely related to
[1:18:26] a billing cap imposed by the government on contract federal
[1:18:30] prosecutors. We will continue to advocate for a full -
[1:18:34] time prosecutor in Hamilton based on the tenure of this
[1:18:37] meeting, there may be immediate assistance available in our collective
[1:18:42] delivery of the principles of BillC5. The discussion was constructive
[1:18:47] and focused on solidifying our partnership to address our common
[1:18:51] concerns regarding the harmful impact of drug trafficking, addictions within
[1:18:56] Hamilton. We recently received a letter from this lister General's
[1:19:01] office commending Hamilton police on our use of ETE. EENTE
[1:19:07] expedites the process for law enforcement officers to file criminal
[1:19:11] charges electronically and streamlines the information shared between police, other
[1:19:16] enforcement agencies, and court in real time. It also allows
[1:19:20] the justice of the peace to enter there in their
[1:19:23] decisions, sign documents, digitally, and request additional information from law
[1:19:28] enforcement, officers online. Hamilton police service achieved in 99 percent
[1:19:37] using the integrated court offence network or what we call
[1:19:41] ICON. During April 2026, Hamilton submitted 584 charge packages containing
[1:19:49] 635 court information. Of those submissions, 626 informations were successfully
[1:19:56] uploaded to the icon system. The court's record management system
[1:20:00] resulting in an exceptional 99 percent success rate. Charge packages
[1:20:06] that contain errors or deficiencies such as an incorrect appearance
[1:20:10] details or nate detail notice will automatically be unload to
[1:20:15] the icon instead of require manual data entry by courthouse
[1:20:18] staff. As such, this result is a direct reflection of
[1:20:22] the care, accuracy, and attention being applied during charge package,
[1:20:27] preparation and review. As of May 31, 2026, Hamilton Police
[1:20:32] Service has transmitted. 2, 517 charge packages containing 2, 775
[1:20:40] information of those 2, 679 information were successfully uploaded in
[1:20:47] the ICON. This representing 97 percent success rate. These results
[1:20:52] are particularly noteworth and given the volume of charge packages
[1:20:55] being processed by Hamilton Police Service and reflect an exceptional
[1:20:59] level of accuracy and consistency in charge package preparation and
[1:21:04] transmission. To put this achievement into perspective, another niche agency
[1:21:09] with a comparable number of members recorded a year to
[1:21:12] date icon upload success rate of just 90 percent and
[1:21:16] in April rate of 87 percent. I would like to
[1:21:20] read one quote directly from the Solicitor General's office. Hamilton
[1:21:25] Police Service has established itself as a leader in the
[1:21:28] submission of high quality charge packages. This is not only
[1:21:32] supports the efficient processing of matters by justices of the
[1:21:36] peace, but also reduces the need for manual data entry
[1:21:39] by court services division staff and the delays that can
[1:21:42] result when submissions fail to upload. A special thank you
[1:21:47] to staff sergeant ManDEGIL, staff sergeant Andrea Richard and staff
[1:21:52] sergeant Michelle Wiley, who oversee the staff responsible preparing and
[1:21:58] transmitting charge packages. Their case PEP teams also deserve recognition
[1:22:03] for the professionalism and diligence that is contributed to these
[1:22:07] outstanding results. The solicitor general also recognised RMS administrator, Heather
[1:22:13] McClay, for all her work has Hamilton's police contact with
[1:22:16] the solicitor general's office. And in conclusion, congratulations to Inspector
[1:22:22] Ben Thibodeau, who is one of 255 law enforcement officers
[1:22:27] who graduated from the FBI National Academy and Quantico, Virginia.
[1:22:33] The 298th session of the National Academy consisted of men
[1:22:37] and women from 46 states and the district of Columbia.
[1:22:41] The class also included 29 international members of law enforcement
[1:22:46] agencies from 26 countries. Five military organisations and four federal
[1:22:52] civilian organisations. Internationally respected and known for its academic excellence,
[1:22:59] the National Academy offers 10 weeks of advanced communication, leadership,
[1:23:03] and fitness training. Participants must have proven records as professionals
[1:23:09] within their agencies to attend. The FBI Academy instructors, special
[1:23:14] agents and other staff with advanced degrees provide the training.
[1:23:18] Many instructors are recognised internationally in their fields. A total
[1:23:23] of 57, 196 graduates have completed the FBI National Academy
[1:23:30] since it began in 1935, including Deputy Ryan Diodati. The
[1:23:36] National Academy has held at the FBI training academy in
[1:23:39] quantico, the same facility where the FBI trains, its new
[1:23:43] special agents and intelligence analysis. Thank you, Chair. Thank you
[1:23:49] for the update, Chief. Can I get a mover in
[1:23:53] a seconder to accept the Chiefs update, move by member
[1:23:57] Padulo, second by member St. Gene, any discussion. Seeing not
[1:24:03] all calls vote all in favor. Opposed. Carried. Kirsten, can
[1:24:11] you please provide your update. Through you chair. This past
[1:24:18] month, I provided a presentation to municipal in OPP Police
[1:24:22] Service Boards across Ontario through the police governance Ontario organisation
[1:24:26] at the virtual administrator summit on June 16th. I attended
[1:24:30] a community safety and well - being planned presentation to
[1:24:33] the service. This is tied into the board strategic planning
[1:24:36] review process. I'd have to say most of my time's
[1:24:39] been focused primarily on strategic planning and working alongside concilium
[1:24:43] public sector services on this initiative. The inspectorate of policing
[1:24:48] has invited me to participate in a small focus session
[1:24:51] group to review the 2026 police service board information data
[1:24:55] collection questions and proposed updates to the dashboard. And then
[1:25:01] finally on June 9th, Lucia Giordano myself, so the entire
[1:25:06] board staff took part in the Wacomile in their shoes
[1:25:09] event. Thanks to everyone who sponsored our team and thanks
[1:25:12] to generous donors, we reached our goal of raising just
[1:25:16] over 1, 000 dollars. I just like to mention that
[1:25:19] I am a survivor of gender - based violence. A
[1:25:23] lot has changed over the years, but not enough. It's
[1:25:26] disturbing to realise that this is still a big problem.
[1:25:30] Having said that, the stigma has been reduced over the
[1:25:32] past years for people who finally speak up. I'd like
[1:25:35] to thank all of the officers, victim service workers and
[1:25:39] volunteers for all of their support and the work that
[1:25:41] you do. Thank you. Thank you, Kirsten. Can I get
[1:25:45] it mover in a second or do member Padulo, second
[1:25:49] my member St. Jean. Is there any discussion on the
[1:25:54] matter. All in favor. Posed. Carried.
[1:26:05] Kirsten, can you please provide your update on the revision
[1:26:09] of the board's 27 to 30 strategic plan. It's through
[1:26:16] you, Chair. I would like to let everybody know that
[1:26:19] the public survey that the board has out on their
[1:26:21] website. We've also advertised an all libraries and community centres
[1:26:25] across the city that the deadline has been extended to
[1:26:29] complete the public confidential survey until July 31st, 2026. A
[1:26:34] media release will be sent out shortly to announce the
[1:26:36] extension and to remind the public where they may access
[1:26:39] the confidential public survey. Our recent focus for the past
[1:26:46] month or so has been on organising stakeholder feedback. Based
[1:26:49] on the CSPA, the Community Safety and Policing Act. The
[1:26:55] strategic plan must provide an overview of the consultations that
[1:27:00] were conducted. So in preparing and revising our strategic plan,
[1:27:04] the police service board will be consulting with the chief
[1:27:07] of police, municipal council. Band councils of any First Nations,
[1:27:13] of which we don't have any in our area. Groups
[1:27:16] representing diverse community and the board's area of policing school
[1:27:20] boards, community organisations, businesses, and members of the public in
[1:27:23] the board's area of policing, and then any other prescribed
[1:27:27] persons, organisations, or groups. In the past month, we've identified
[1:27:31] key stakeholders. These groups were broken out into main categories
[1:27:37] and then into further subgroups. We've got governance. And for
[1:27:41] example, that would include board members, municipal council, MPs, and
[1:27:46] MPPs. Um, this list is an exhaustive. I'll save you
[1:27:49] that. I'm just giving you a high level of, um,
[1:27:52] the stakeholders we've identified. Education is another main group. That
[1:27:57] includes post - secondary institutions. Public Catholic French school boards,
[1:28:01] private schools, and also faith - based institutions. Social services,
[1:28:07] health, and community organisations are our third group. Our fourth
[1:28:11] group is groups representing diverse communities. Um, again, not a
[1:28:16] fulsom list, but that includes indigenous, racialized communities, faith communities,
[1:28:21] TOSNL GBTQIA plus communities, people with disabilities, seniors, and people
[1:28:27] experiencing poverty and the unhoused. Youth is another large group.
[1:28:33] That's our fifth group, sixth group is business and Economic
[1:28:36] Communities. We've reached out to the Chamber of Commerce, business
[1:28:39] improvement areas, uh, in rural businesses. Um, the Hamilton went
[1:28:44] with Federation of Agriculture. And then the seventh group is
[1:28:48] Community Safety Partners and Advocacy Groups. So this would include
[1:28:51] the women's abuse working group, which is a 23 -
[1:28:54] member coalition, Emergency Service Partners, EMS, Fire and Bylaw, and
[1:28:59] then SAT, which is the system advisory leadership table. Internal
[1:29:04] focus groups were also organised within the service and included
[1:29:07] individuals from all levels, both sworn and civilian, including specialty
[1:29:12] units from the strategic initiative unit. So EDI, community engagement
[1:29:16] groups, et cetera. On behalf of the board, I would
[1:29:20] like to send a big thank you out to staff
[1:29:22] sergeant Tammy Ewert for all of our hard work facilitating
[1:29:25] the internal focus group sessions. And for her assistance in
[1:29:29] identifying and compiling key stakeholder group contacts. Thank you. Thank
[1:29:35] you, curse. And this is a significant and a big
[1:29:38] addition or by the board and you and the chair
[1:29:42] on it. And that's, uh, that's a good thing. Can
[1:29:44] I get a, may please get a mover in a
[1:29:47] second and receive the strategic plan verbal update and item
[1:29:52] 5. 5. 1 media release requesting to public's input on
[1:29:56] revisions through the strategic plan. Can I get a mover.
[1:30:01] Member Spadafora, welcome. By member Pudulo. Any discussion. Comment.
[1:30:13] All in favor.
[1:30:23] Public minutes of May 21st. May please get a mover
[1:30:28] in a second or to approve the minutes of May
[1:30:30] 21st, 2026 as presented. Moved by memory St. Gene, second
[1:30:35] of my member Spadafora. Are there any discussion on the
[1:30:39] matter. All in favor. Posed. Carried. Correspondence
[1:30:49] may get a mover in a second order to receive
[1:30:50] correspondence item 7 - 1 through 7. 1 through 7.
[1:30:55] 11. Moved by member St. Gene, second by members by
[1:31:01] the 4. Would you like to speak to any of
[1:31:04] the correspondent items? Are there any correspondent items aboard? Would
[1:31:07] like to discuss. We'll start with the chief. Thank you,
[1:31:11] Chair, and I will stand down waiting for board direction.
[1:31:16] And any correspondent items aboard like the comment on. Any
[1:31:22] further discussion. All in favor. Poles carried.
[1:31:37] Consent items. May get a mover in a seconder to
[1:31:42] receive consent items 8. 1 through 8. 7. Move by
[1:31:49] member Kretsch. 2nd by member Spadafora. Chief Bergener, thanks and
[1:31:57] send items you would like to speak to. Thank you,
[1:32:00] Chair and I'll stand down waiting for board direction. Okay.
[1:32:04] Members, any consigned items you'd like to speak to. Member
[1:32:08] Kretsch. 8. 2 and 8. 4. I'll start with 8.
[1:32:15] 2. I attended the downtown safety summit meeting. And reviewed
[1:32:23] the report. And a couple things I wanted to point
[1:32:24] out from my perspective as the downtown Councillor and as
[1:32:28] someone who attended the meeting. My understanding, before we got
[1:32:32] to the meeting based on all the emails I received,
[1:32:34] was that the mean was going to be focused on
[1:32:36] dealing with ways to support youth. Those are the folks
[1:32:42] that were involved in the specific shootings that were the
[1:32:45] meeting was called for to discuss. Instead, the meeting ended
[1:32:48] up being a sort of side town hall on another
[1:32:51] subject altogether. Should it find really regrettable because those youth
[1:32:56] who are looking for leadership looking for support looking for
[1:32:59] ways to find resources, um, and communities who are grieving
[1:33:02] from those incidents. Reach out to me and said they
[1:33:05] didn't get anything out of the meeting. And that was
[1:33:07] the purpose of the meeting. So that's regrettable from my
[1:33:10] perspective. I also think it's important to say that one
[1:33:15] of the things that is not talked about continually, we're
[1:33:18] talking about shooting in the city, which I find personally
[1:33:20] fine bizarre is that more than 80 percent of the
[1:33:24] shootings do not occur in the area that's identified by
[1:33:27] as downtown by the police. So in that meeting, we
[1:33:29] had a map up on the board, it showed downtown.
[1:33:36] Recently the media contacted me to ask me questions about
[1:33:38] different things were happening downtown. And one of the questions
[1:33:40] they asked me was, well, Councillor, what do you think
[1:33:42] about this and the perception? I said, I think it's
[1:33:45] important for us to start actually having a conversation about
[1:33:47] the perception. Of these situations and how that perception is
[1:33:51] created in the first place. There were recently two shootings,
[1:33:55] four days apart in Ancaster World 14 type area. I
[1:33:59] didn't see the same level of press conferences, repeated press
[1:34:02] conferences, media releases, media attention about those two shootings. But
[1:34:08] when one of those shootings happens downtown, we're seeing multiple
[1:34:13] press conferences, press releases availabilities, media attention on the subject.
[1:34:17] And so I think there's something to be said about
[1:34:19] how that perception gets created. If the majority of shootings
[1:34:21] aren't happening downtown, why aren't we having a conversation similar
[1:34:25] to the kinds of conversations we're having downtown every single
[1:34:27] time they're just shooting in our city. I don't get
[1:34:30] it. And it's not a question, by the way. That's
[1:34:32] a rhetorical statement. I'm asking for an answer from anybody.
[1:34:34] I'm just saying to you that for me, it's deeply
[1:34:36] troubling that the majority, the vast majority of shootings happen
[1:34:38] outside downtown. But the only conversation receiving willing to be
[1:34:41] have is the ones that are having downtown. We should
[1:34:43] be having a mean like that, meaning we had here
[1:34:46] in every community where they're shooting. And there should be
[1:34:48] discussions about why they're happening there. Thank you. Are there
[1:34:57] any further discussions on, um, any of the items. 8.
[1:35:03] 4. I was just waiting to see if anybody else
[1:35:05] had anything on 8. 2 or 3. Thank you. My
[1:35:07] only question for 8. 4 is I didn't see this.
[1:35:09] Two questions I have. Question number one is with respect
[1:35:11] to the number of people in the traffic safety unit.
[1:35:14] So when the traffic safe unit was first built, it
[1:35:16] was going to be 1920 people. And then there was
[1:35:18] a conversation about not being able to find enough people
[1:35:20] to staff the unit. So then there was 11 people
[1:35:22] that were in the unit and there was people that
[1:35:24] were off and other kinds of reasons. But I didn't
[1:35:26] see that information here. I may have missed it. And
[1:35:28] that's my fault. But where are we at today. Thank
[1:35:33] you for the question. Member Kretsch and through you chair.
[1:35:36] Uh, so currently the unit is at 18 people, uh,
[1:35:40] were currently staffed at 15 as three members are off
[1:35:43] on WSIB. So we're down three members at this time.
[1:35:46] So we're kind of up four from before. We're kind
[1:35:49] of in the middle at this point. In terms of
[1:35:50] people that are doing. We're up four members from the
[1:35:52] 11. We're kind of in the middle of the sort
[1:35:54] of 20. That's correct. Out of transfer meeting last year,
[1:35:58] the staffing, um, concern was brought to the chief and
[1:36:01] the chief reassigned some resources from throughout the organisation to
[1:36:04] make sure that we, um, our remaining with our commitment
[1:36:07] to TSU. Thanks. My second question about this is regarding
[1:36:13] targets. So I've seen all the tables here. They show
[1:36:15] changes. They show what things look like as a trend.
[1:36:18] But I don't see targets here. So how are we
[1:36:20] supposed to know how we're evaluating this information and whether
[1:36:23] we're doing a good job or not, simply comparing information
[1:36:26] year over year gives us a sense of how we're
[1:36:27] doing year to year. But without sort of a really
[1:36:30] targeted program of this is how much we think we
[1:36:32] should be doing. This is how much money we're coming
[1:36:33] in before. And the purpose of the program was to
[1:36:36] increase that or the purpose of the program was to
[1:36:38] do something else. I don't see that overlay here. And
[1:36:41] so it's hard for me to understand what outcomes we're
[1:36:43] measuring. Against speak to it. So, um, I guess I
[1:36:48] can start, I have some prepared comments actually. Just I'll
[1:36:51] go through them first. And then, uh, I'll attempt to,
[1:36:54] if those don't answer your question, then I can go
[1:36:56] further. So I'll begin by acknowledging that our recent traffic
[1:37:00] enforcement numbers have not been where we would like them
[1:37:02] to be as an organisation. So they'll start there. Uh,
[1:37:05] that said, this was not a matter of priority. Traffic
[1:37:08] enforcement has remained a priority for this service, but ongoing
[1:37:12] staffing challenges over several years have significantly limited our officer's
[1:37:16] ability to engage in proactive enforcement. Quite simply our members
[1:37:20] were largely consumed by calls for service, leaving limited capacity.
[1:37:24] For discretionary activities like traffic enforcement. January 2026, however, represented
[1:37:30] the turning point for the organisation. The investments made by
[1:37:33] this board and staffing compliments hiring approvals and collective agreement
[1:37:37] changes are now allowing us to properly backfill those positions,
[1:37:42] including some of the members off on WSAB. Those changes
[1:37:46] have restored the proactive capacity that was missing. We're now
[1:37:50] seeing clear and sustained progress. So I'm happy to report
[1:37:54] that from January 1st until May 31st of this year,
[1:37:58] traffic enforcement activity is up approximately 55 percent compared to
[1:38:02] the same period last year. During that same period motor
[1:38:06] vehicle collisions are down 10 percent. Driving apprehensions are up
[1:38:10] four percent. You've also laid 217 stunt driving charges in
[1:38:17] just the first five months of this year. And that
[1:38:19] compares to 273 during all of 2025. The statistical loan
[1:38:26] demonstrates both the extent of the problem and the intensity
[1:38:29] of our enforcement efforts directed at the highest risk drivers
[1:38:32] in our community. The realities that more people in our
[1:38:36] community will be impacted by serious or fatal motor vehicle
[1:38:39] collisions than by violent crime. Every one of these collisions
[1:38:41] is preventable. While speed is often discussed as a contributing
[1:38:45] factor, speed alone is rarely the sole cause of fatal
[1:38:48] collisions. More often, you see a combination of factors at
[1:38:52] play. These include impairment by drugs, alcohol, distracted driving, excessive
[1:38:57] speed and failure to where seat belts. This is why
[1:39:00] our approach has evolved, not simply about increasing volume. It's
[1:39:03] about being more intentional. And I hope this begins to
[1:39:07] answer your question. We are focusing on the highest risk
[1:39:10] drivers and behaviours. Not so much a set number, including
[1:39:14] impaired driving, distracted driving, excessive speed, seatbelt enforcement, and stunt
[1:39:19] driving. Our enforcement efforts are specifically designed to target these
[1:39:23] behaviours because they are the primary contributors to serious injury
[1:39:27] and fatal collisions. The combination of this target enforcement strategy,
[1:39:32] along with the proactive efforts of our commercial motor vehicle
[1:39:35] unit is beginning to pay in dividends. We're seeing increase
[1:39:38] in enforcement activity, fewer collisions overall. More impaired drivers being
[1:39:43] removed from our roadways and a stronger focus on those
[1:39:45] drivers who pose the greatest risk to public safety. So
[1:39:49] based on the results we've seen, the first five months
[1:39:51] of 2026, I'm confident that next year's report will look
[1:39:55] significantly different and will better reflect the efforts of our
[1:39:59] members and the expectations we have set for ourselves as
[1:40:02] an organisation. I want to thank the board for its
[1:40:05] continued support and investment. I'm confident that the positive results
[1:40:08] that we've seen so far in the first five months
[1:40:10] of this year will continue throughout the range of the
[1:40:13] year. That said, we have two traffic campaigns set for
[1:40:18] July and August of this year. July will be running
[1:40:21] a program. Called Buckle Up Phone Down to significant causes
[1:40:26] of fatal and serious motor vehicle and collisions in the
[1:40:30] city. Clearly we're going to be focusing on seatbelt enforcement
[1:40:33] and distracted driving. And then in August, mostly around complaints
[1:40:38] that we have been receiving from, um, our residents and
[1:40:41] councillors on behalf of citizens. We're going to be focusing
[1:40:44] on equipment violations. Things like mufflers, um, uh, tinted windows
[1:40:50] plate covers, things like that. Other equipment violations that can
[1:40:53] contribute to safety concerns. So I hope that answers your
[1:40:57] question, member Kretsch. And if I'm happy to go a
[1:41:00] little bit deeper in the data if you need it.
[1:41:04] Thanks. It does answer in part in terms of the
[1:41:06] things that you're doing, but I'm trying to understand how
[1:41:09] we're evaluating these outcomes. What I mean to say, for
[1:41:11] instance, is let's just say that we are aware that
[1:41:14] there are 10 stunt driving locations in the lower city.
[1:41:19] Yeah. If we were aware, 10 stunt driving locations in
[1:41:22] the lower city, then I would presume that we're trying
[1:41:24] to eliminate strunt driving those locations. Then I presume by
[1:41:27] the following year, we're able to say, okay, in three
[1:41:29] of those locations we were able to eliminate stunt driving
[1:41:32] or in this many instances of sun driving, we were
[1:41:34] like, we're not measuring a gain something that I can
[1:41:36] see. So for me, the data kind of just floats
[1:41:38] here. And that's what I'm trying to get understanding of
[1:41:40] is you're saying we're not trying to approach or come
[1:41:43] after outcomes, but or specific numbers and targets. But they
[1:41:46] exist, right? So why is that information not available? And
[1:41:50] can we get a sense of how we're doing. Absolutely.
[1:41:53] So there's, um, we work very, very closely with Mike
[1:41:56] Field over at the city. And, um, data is shared
[1:42:00] between our organisation. So we have Dan here from the
[1:42:03] information and analysis unit. And we share information back and
[1:42:06] forth on what those locations are. And then accordingly, we
[1:42:10] deploy our resources. So there, so for example, the red
[1:42:14] hill valley parkway is an area where we're constantly seeing
[1:42:17] people stunt driving. So we're working with Mike Field and
[1:42:20] this team there. And deploying resources around the times that
[1:42:23] we see those offences occurring. Yeah. I think I'm not
[1:42:30] quite getting the answer I want, which is okay. I'm
[1:42:32] not going to belabor the point. It's just that yes,
[1:42:34] I understand that you're gaining this information. I think it's
[1:42:36] important. It's reported. And we can see the outcomes and
[1:42:38] metro our success without having a number we're trying to
[1:42:40] get to. We have no, we have knowing if we're
[1:42:42] being successful and doing this. We're doing it. But for
[1:42:45] my education, I'm looking at this thinking, well, how many
[1:42:47] of these situations are there? Are we being successful in
[1:42:50] remedying the situation in more than half of them or
[1:42:52] less than a half of them? What are the challenges
[1:42:54] that are presented in doing that? Lord, are we doing
[1:42:56] to address those challenges? That information's not here. So for
[1:42:58] me, I've known we've understanding or being successful or not.
[1:43:02] Yeah. What I'll add is, uh, probably about two months
[1:43:04] ago the chief approve, the crime prevention and Evan Space
[1:43:07] policing unit. With that, we're looking at working with the
[1:43:11] city on the road safety initiatives fund. Dan and his
[1:43:14] team are working with us to use an evidence -
[1:43:17] based approach on the deployment of our, uh, resources. And
[1:43:21] with that and through that project, it is our hope
[1:43:23] that we can report back on those outcomes that you're
[1:43:25] seeking. But Dan, if you want to speak proto to
[1:43:27] it, please. Thank you, sir. And through you, Chair, just
[1:43:29] to follow up on that, you're looking, the question you're
[1:43:32] asking member crutch is we're doing enforcement. We're producing numbers
[1:43:35] each year. What is happening? What is the effect? Right.
[1:43:38] So to, to superintendent's point, you know, the goal for
[1:43:42] our unit right now in the years to come, um,
[1:43:44] is to understand, okay, where are the issues occurring? For
[1:43:48] instance, we have, um, areas with high motor vehicle collisions.
[1:43:52] And we can report whether or not year over year
[1:43:54] this goes up or down. But we don't know what
[1:43:57] our enforcement is doing anything about it. So what we're
[1:43:59] doing in our unit is to give you an example,
[1:44:02] uh, with respect to the RSIF funding and with respect
[1:44:05] to our chafford deployment is, okay, if we are to
[1:44:08] provide a treatment area, how does that, you know, can
[1:44:12] we establish a control zone? So with, for instance, our
[1:44:17] deployment in this area, no deployment and another comparable area.
[1:44:20] However, that area is comparable. Is our enforcement having an
[1:44:23] effect? And that's what we are doing across the service
[1:44:26] and especially, uh, in the traffic safety unit, uh, in
[1:44:29] the future. Okay. I think I have the answer, which
[1:44:32] is in the future. Thank you. Are there any other
[1:44:38] questions. On the consent? We have a mover in a
[1:44:42] second. Are you voting or asking a question? I got
[1:44:48] one. Um. All in favor.
[1:45:01] I'll call in chief burgund introduce the presenters for the
[1:45:04] use of forest 2025 year end report. Thank you, Chair.
[1:45:10] It gives me, um, pleasure to introduce Sergeant Mas Giuliani.
[1:45:14] Sergeant James to Prince and Dr. Daniel Musanith to come
[1:45:17] to the podium to give us the 2025 year end
[1:45:21] report use of force.
[1:46:14] Members of police services board. Chief Bergen, Deputy Chief Deodatti.
[1:46:19] Acting deputy chief Abbott, senior officers. Police service members and
[1:46:24] members of the community. Good afternoon. My name is Masmo
[1:46:26] Giuliani. I'm one of the two sergeants in the UC4
[1:46:29] section of the training branch. Um, today's presentation will align
[1:46:33] some of the background information about use of force in
[1:46:35] proceed into highlight of the statistics for the county year
[1:46:38] 2025. So just some background where use of force comes
[1:46:45] from. So the criminal code of Canada, section 25 and
[1:46:48] 26 dictate the majority of the force, the legal aspect
[1:46:53] of force. So officers may use force during their duty
[1:46:57] only permitted by law. Even if forces authorized by law,
[1:47:00] it's not unrestricted. It must be necessary, reasonable, and proportional.
[1:47:04] There's a reasonable discretion on force being required in what
[1:47:08] degree of force is required. Um, the courts have also
[1:47:12] recognised that officers must act quickly in emergency. So the
[1:47:15] standard is not perfection, but a reasonable under the circumstances.
[1:47:19] Force must be lawful, reasonable, and necessary. So section 25
[1:47:24] gives us the authority to use force. In section 26,
[1:47:28] uh, is the limit on it. So it covers the
[1:47:31] excessive force section. Officers are criminally responsible for any excess
[1:47:36] force. Any accusations of excessive force can be investigated by
[1:47:41] any of the following. The Hamilton Police Professional Standards branch,
[1:47:45] the Ontario Special Investigations Unit. LICA, the law enforcement complaints
[1:47:49] agency. And now, uh, judges in trials are now reviewing
[1:47:53] use force reports during proceedings. The Ontario Public Police Interactions
[1:48:02] TrainingE came into effect in 2023. It is not a
[1:48:07] justification for an officer's force, but rather assists officers in
[1:48:11] articulating events in all interactions. Not just use of force
[1:48:14] incidents. This also assists the public in understanding why and
[1:48:18] what manner officer may respond during an interaction. Conflict prevention
[1:48:23] and de - escalation envelopes the entire model. So when
[1:48:31] is a force report required. An officer drops a handgun
[1:48:36] in the presence of the public. So if a handgun
[1:48:38] is drawn, a report is required. If any firearm by
[1:48:43] a police officer is pointed at a person, a use
[1:48:45] of force report is required as well. If an officer
[1:48:49] discharges firearm, a report is required. If an officer uses
[1:48:53] a weapon, any weapon on another person that report is
[1:48:57] required. If they draw and display a conducted energy weapon,
[1:49:02] so our tasers. If that is drawn, uh, with the
[1:49:05] intention of achieving compliance, a report is required. If they
[1:49:09] point a conducted energy weapon, or taser out a person,
[1:49:13] our report would be required. Um, if they discharge that
[1:49:17] conducted energy weapon, if they use force on any other
[1:49:21] person or any person that results in an injury required
[1:49:25] medical attention through a physician, a nurse or a paramedic.
[1:49:29] In the officers aware of that before they leave for
[1:49:31] their shift and a shift, then a report is required.
[1:49:38] So reports are completed by officers before the end of
[1:49:42] their shift. So if you have any use force interaction
[1:49:46] and a reports required, the officers report submit electronic report.
[1:49:49] This report has been in use for the last several
[1:49:51] years now. Uh, their electronic reports. The officer then submits
[1:49:56] the report to their supervisor. It's either the sergeant or
[1:49:59] the staff sergeant. The staff sergeant then reviews if the
[1:50:03] relevant body worn camera or in - car camera. If
[1:50:07] the report's complete and the supervisor satisfied with the, um,
[1:50:11] thoroughness of the report, it then goes to the divisional
[1:50:13] commander. The commander conducts their own review of the report
[1:50:17] and the circumstances. And again, if there's any body -
[1:50:19] worn camera or in - car camera, the commander has
[1:50:23] the option to review that. Once the commander is finished
[1:50:26] with that report, it then gets forwarded to the use
[1:50:29] of force section. And, uh, we then go through the
[1:50:33] report and then it's submitted electronically to the minister of
[1:50:36] solicitor in general. If at any stage, the concerns about
[1:50:41] force, uh, allegations, uh, concerns about how force was applied,
[1:50:46] uh, they get flagged at any of these steps. And
[1:50:50] definitely from the use force perspective, we will review it
[1:50:52] and we'll call the officers in if the remedial training
[1:50:55] required. That is my component for now. We'll have Dr.
[1:51:01] Moskf continue. Okay. In just Daniel is good as well.
[1:51:08] It's a good afternoon everyone. So in terms of the
[1:51:10] trends, I'm going to take you through some of the
[1:51:11] trends coming out of this year's use of force report,
[1:51:14] owing to time. I won't be able to discuss every
[1:51:16] data point, but happy to answer any questions that you
[1:51:18] may have. Uh, so at a very high level, we
[1:51:22] find that in 2025 compared to 2024, um, we had
[1:51:26] 203 incidents involving police use of force last year, which
[1:51:29] is the lowest in six years. Uh, it's about 28
[1:51:32] percent below the 2024 number in about 40 percent below
[1:51:37] our five year average of all of these incidents fall
[1:51:42] into two categories. Categories that are weapons related, uh, categories
[1:51:48] that are warmth in nature. So officers conducting warrant executions.
[1:51:52] Uh, in related to that, a weapon was perceived by
[1:51:55] officers in about 75 percent of all of these incidents
[1:51:59] That's up from 65 percent in 2023. So even as
[1:52:03] overall use of force is declining, um, we see that
[1:52:06] more of these situations are involving perceived weapons. This is
[1:52:11] just a visualization of the numbers for this year. On
[1:52:14] the blue, uh, the blue, uh, graph or the blue
[1:52:16] line shows the number of incidents. As we can see,
[1:52:19] 2025, um, it's about 28 percent reduction compared to last
[1:52:25] year. Also use of force incidents can involve multiple individuals
[1:52:29] or multiple subjects as it says in the form. Um,
[1:52:32] so the right graph shows that overall reduction as well.
[1:52:36] Um, whoops. Going a little bit too far. Um, there
[1:52:40] are also 20 incidents that involved animals. So predominantly humane
[1:52:45] destruction, uh, of animals. Um, or uncontrolled animals that had
[1:52:49] to be safely contained. This figure here shows the number
[1:52:51] of individuals that were involved. Okay. In Ontario and as
[1:52:56] I've learned as working here is that police use of
[1:52:58] force follows a structured approach based on levels of risk
[1:53:01] in a situation. And as a result, officers have a
[1:53:04] range of options available to them in terms of use
[1:53:06] of force. So while use of force is declined, um,
[1:53:09] compared to 2024, it's still important to see, okay, what
[1:53:12] do we mean by force? How are officers using force?
[1:53:16] Oh, we're going to head over ourselves. Uh, beginning with
[1:53:19] the most severe end of the spectrum. So firearm discharges
[1:53:22] by officers. These are very rare. Um, they have occurred
[1:53:26] on three occasions or fewer, uh, between 2020 and 2025.
[1:53:30] Last year we had one incident involving officers discharging firearm.
[1:53:35] Uh, and again, between 2023 and 2025, um, we've had
[1:53:38] one incident per year. Okay. Firearm pointing, um, is the
[1:53:43] most common form, uh, lethal force in our data. Uh,
[1:53:47] this also declines substantially in 2025. Um, incidents fell to
[1:53:52] 107 involving 198 individuals. Again, both the lowest levels recorded,
[1:53:58] uh, from 2020 to 2025. And well below the five
[1:54:01] year average. Uh, CWs conducted energy weapons. Otherwise known as
[1:54:06] tasers. These refer to, or these are our commonly used
[1:54:10] intermediate force option for officers. They were used in 86
[1:54:15] incidents last year. There were 86 taser uses. Um, it's
[1:54:20] about 42 percent of all of our use of force
[1:54:23] incidents However, this figure here doesn't define, okay, how is
[1:54:27] the taser being used? This just means the taser was
[1:54:30] used in some way. Looking more closely, we can see
[1:54:34] that this very far right column here or bar is
[1:54:38] 2025. And how CEWs were used. So the highest observed
[1:54:43] level, um, we have incidents where tasers were drawn and
[1:54:47] only drawn, uh, in 17 percent of the time. So
[1:54:56] being the highest level, um, in 37 percent of our
[1:54:59] incident So what this means is that in approximately 63
[1:55:03] percent of our use of CEWs It was drawn or
[1:55:07] pointed without actually being discharged by our officers. And owing
[1:55:12] to time, I'm going to go through this next section
[1:55:14] a little bit quicker as well. Uh, but incident context.
[1:55:17] So the call source, the type, the context. Um, this
[1:55:20] is all information that is captured in our use of
[1:55:23] force forms. So a common question that we get often
[1:55:26] from the community is, okay, but how do these interactions
[1:55:29] start? Uh, we know that most use of force incidents
[1:55:32] begin with a citizen generated call for service. Um, we
[1:55:36] also have warrants, uh, that account for between 14 in
[1:55:41] upwards of 18 percent each year. These are involved planned
[1:55:45] enforcement against known subjects, um, often with elevated, um, weapon
[1:55:50] or violence risks. Officer initiated incidents are rare. Uh, and
[1:55:55] they declined to five, uh, last year we had five.
[1:55:59] It makes them a boat two and a half percent
[1:56:00] of our overall use of force incidents. Uh, In terms
[1:56:04] of the incident type, so officers can actually input, what
[1:56:08] was the incident they were responding to on their use
[1:56:10] of force form? We see that weapons related incidents have
[1:56:13] increased in proportion in the last few years. Warrants, while
[1:56:18] they have declined as far as the proportion of use
[1:56:20] of force, they still make up the second most proportion.
[1:56:24] Uh, and what we see this year, one thing, um,
[1:56:26] that has flagged some consideration is IPV related incidents. We
[1:56:31] see that, uh, higher proportion of our use of force
[1:56:34] incidents are related to intimate partner violence. Um, so these
[1:56:38] are disputes that have become more prominent in the last
[1:56:41] year. Uh, in the last data point that I'm going
[1:56:44] to end off with is perceived weapons. So right in
[1:56:47] the use of force form officers can check off whether
[1:56:50] or not they perceived in the individual to have a
[1:56:53] weapon. Whether that is information that was received from the
[1:56:56] caller, um, from prior information about the individual, uh, most
[1:57:00] of the time that. Um, and this has increased to
[1:57:03] about 75 percent of our incident in 2025. This suggests
[1:57:07] that even as overall use of force as declined, the
[1:57:11] remaining incidents are increasingly concentrated in high risk situations. Okay.
[1:57:16] To conclude everything here, um, use of force, it remains
[1:57:20] rare relative to police public contacts. But every incident carries
[1:57:24] real potential for impact on the individuals, on the community,
[1:57:28] uh, and so the goal of this report is to
[1:57:31] really provide the community with an understanding, um, of, of
[1:57:35] the circumstances, um, and some of the data that we're
[1:57:38] seeing. So again, we remain committed to this transparent reporting
[1:57:43] accountability ongoing learning. Um, this year, we've included more data
[1:57:47] points compared to last year. Um, that was based on
[1:57:49] community input. And we are happy to engage with this
[1:57:52] more, um, to show this data. Thank you.
[1:58:06] I'm just resting my old feet. Is you're done any,
[1:58:12] uh, so let's do this in a proper. You're done.
[1:58:15] You're good. Yes. Okay. Um. Going to move her in
[1:58:21] a second to receive the report of the presentation. Remember
[1:58:24] Padulo second by member Spadafora. Any discussion. On the matter.
[1:58:32] Member Spadafora. Thanks chair. Uh, I don't have any
[1:58:41] questions. More of comments for me. Early on, there was
[1:58:47] a page that had some pretty, some pretty good stats
[1:58:51] when we talk about the decrease that we've been able
[1:58:53] to, um, not we. The service has been able to,
[1:58:58] to do, uh, when you look at, I can't remember
[1:59:01] the slide I'm trying to find it, but, uh, the
[1:59:05] reduction. Oh, there it is. Like I think, I think
[1:59:12] that's, you know, 203 instances in 2025, the lowest in
[1:59:16] six years. I mean, these are numbers, I think that,
[1:59:19] that we should be celebrating. These are, these are real
[1:59:22] big changes that come on the backs of, of the
[1:59:25] work that, you know, our officers do, uh, number one,
[1:59:29] getting trained and just being able to, um, to do
[1:59:33] a better job. But the thing that's interesting with that
[1:59:35] is as those numbers decline incidents, including a weapon, have
[1:59:42] increased. So we're, we're being able to reduce. The amount
[1:59:48] of times we're taken our guns out or using force,
[1:59:51] because I know the different ways to use the force.
[1:59:54] But we're doing that well. We're seeing an increase in
[1:59:56] terrible crime. Like way more people with a weapon or
[2:00:01] at least a perceived weapon. Um, and our numbers are
[2:00:04] declining. So for me, I don't have any questions like
[2:00:07] I said, but I think this is great work by
[2:00:10] the service right from the chief all the way down
[2:00:12] to, uh, anybody who's, who's part of these statistics. This
[2:00:16] is great news. I'll definitely be sharing it and celebrating.
[2:00:19] I know the people in this city, um, that like
[2:00:22] to look at our use of force numbers and talk
[2:00:24] about how we have a major issue. When I look
[2:00:27] at this slide at 2025 at a glance, I think
[2:00:30] it shows that we're doing a really good job. And
[2:00:33] I commend the chief in the entire service on that.
[2:00:35] That's it for me. Thanks. Thank you, member Spadafora. Well
[2:00:39] said and well put. I think we're good. Um, I
[2:00:45] think just think a simple congratulations to the service on
[2:00:47] a job well done is in order. Based on the
[2:00:51] use of course, uh, stats this year. Thank you. It
[2:00:53] was a wonderful presentation and we're grateful. Mover and second
[2:00:57] are all in favor. Carried. I'll call on Chief Bergen
[2:01:05] to introduce a presenter for the next 2025 year end
[2:01:10] report raised an identity based strategy. Update. Thank you, Chair.
[2:01:15] And through your position, uh, again, Daniel moves to notice
[2:01:20] at this podium. And, uh, we'll go through our approach
[2:01:24] to race in a denno - based data. This is
[2:01:26] the cal presentation. Of my present. Yeah. So that was
[2:01:30] the love. They did that last month. It's. Okay.
[2:01:59] Tanny, you can't keep all those stats in your head.
[2:02:01] You got a lot of them up there. I'm just.
[2:02:04] Going to.
[2:02:15] Splatforder For during this slight pause. At the start of
[2:02:20] the meeting. I reminded everyone that there's a five minute
[2:02:24] speaking order. And you can only speak to one item
[2:02:26] once unless the board approve it. And just so you
[2:02:31] were a minute and 47 seconds and it was very
[2:02:33] well done. Thank you. And like a soccer game, you
[2:02:39] can claw time back if the guy asked him the
[2:02:42] question. Goes too long. It's all my, but the enough
[2:02:48] exposure to it. We get it. He's just trying to
[2:02:50] kill time here.
[2:03:11] Hi. More years.
[2:03:30] Yes. Then you. Got the sun. Wait. A minute.
[2:03:48] I'm a poor singer. So. We're going to have to
[2:03:51] find some other way to kill time. Can you sing.
[2:03:58] It. Okay. Members battle four is going to do a
[2:04:03] remnation of, um, are you ready? We good. Yeah. Member
[2:04:12] Spadafor is going to sing. You can pick the number.
[2:04:18] That way. Do you want to have a five minute
[2:04:24] break. Okay. But they're the annual report. Okay.
[2:04:36] Change of plans, no singing. Hamilton police service. Annual report.
[2:04:49] May get a mover in a seconder to approve the,
[2:04:51] um, 25 annual report as presented moved by members Spadafora.
[2:04:57] Second member Padulo. Are there any discussions on the matter.
[2:05:03] All in favor. Post. Carried.
[2:05:14] I'll just keep going until you guys tell me you're
[2:05:16] ready to turn that operation around. Um, deployment of Metrolink
[2:05:21] Special Constables in the City of Hamilton. Make, this is
[2:05:25] nine four, may please get a mover in a second
[2:05:28] or to approve that. The Hamilton Police Service Board enter
[2:05:31] into an agreement with her Majesty, the king as represented
[2:05:36] by the solicitor general or operating through Ontario Provincial Police
[2:05:40] to permit the OPP special constables employed by Metro links.
[2:05:44] To act in the City of Hamilton and. The chair
[2:05:49] be authorized, execute the amended agreement. Move by. Member Spada
[2:05:56] Forest, second by member St. Gene. Are there any discussions
[2:05:59] on this matter. All in favor. Carried. Single.
[2:06:09] Source approval. Um, may I please go to move her
[2:06:13] in a seconder to approve the single source procurement of
[2:06:17] integrated virtual reality training solutions. To street smart VRNC pursuant
[2:06:23] to procurement policy number 11, non - competitive procurement until
[2:06:28] May 10th, 2028. Approval of procurement from street smarts VR
[2:06:33] ink, a U S business per policy number 11 non
[2:06:38] - competitor procurement. Move by member St. Gene's second by
[2:06:44] member Spadafora. The rating discussions on the matter. Seeing none,
[2:06:49] I'll call the vote all in favor. Opposed carried. Uh,
[2:06:54] TJ, I drones standardization. May, please going to move her
[2:06:59] in a seconder. To approve that standardization of DJI drones
[2:07:06] and accessories pursuant to policy number 14. Standardization until December
[2:07:11] 30, first 30, 31. 2031. Member Spatter for a second
[2:07:19] by member Padulo. There's any discussion on the matter. All
[2:07:27] in favor. Carried. Okay.
[2:07:38] We're going to have a conversation about this now. It's
[2:07:40] not on, I've got it here. So I want to
[2:07:44] discuss and we, and we did discuss this a little
[2:07:46] over email. Uh, due to the fact that the municipal
[2:07:50] election is taking place on Monday, October the 26th. Or
[2:07:55] October board meeting is on October. 22nd. And we will
[2:07:58] likely not have quorum. We have no meeting in August.
[2:08:03] I'm unable to chair our September meeting. I'll be out
[2:08:06] of the country. I'd like to propose that we move
[2:08:09] our Thursday, September the 24th meeting to Thursday, September the
[2:08:13] 10th. This will allow the opportunity to cite if you
[2:08:17] wish to plan a nearly October meeting and still provide
[2:08:20] this service of myself and find repair reports. Between the
[2:08:24] proposed September 10th meeting and the early October meeting. October
[2:08:30] meeting is currently October 22nd. Proposed would be the first.
[2:08:35] But what we should decide on today is, uh, if
[2:08:39] it's at the board's pleasure to move the September 24th
[2:08:42] meeting to the 10th. Member Spadar For our moves at
[2:08:47] the, uh, next board meeting, which of September 24th, we
[2:08:52] moved to September 10th. Probable now.
[2:09:04] So is that a conditional seconder? Are you all in?
[2:09:09] Okay. Are there any discussions. I think I just got
[2:09:13] in deeper. All in favor. Carried. How we make a
[2:09:23] note. What are we going to do? Do you want
[2:09:31] to decide that now too? All right. Uh, the executive
[2:09:36] director pose the question that we entertain changing the October
[2:09:41] meeting now and are probably benefit the service. Um, so
[2:09:45] from move where October 22nd meeting to October 1st. I
[2:09:49] think that just makes some sense. Move by member Spadafora
[2:09:53] second by member. Padulo. Andy discussion. All in favor. S
[2:10:02] carried. Okay, that's done. My mother juice here. I got
[2:10:09] nothing left. Member Spada for you're going to have to
[2:10:14] sing.
[2:10:26] Okay. We're going to resize for five minutes.
[2:20:13] We'll reintroduce, okay? Took a quick technical break. I'll call
[2:20:23] in cheap burgund introduce the presenter for the 2025 year
[2:20:27] in report race and identity base data strategy update. Thank
[2:20:31] you, Chair. And again, Dr. Daniel Messnuff will give us
[2:20:35] race and identity - based data strategy update. And it's
[2:20:38] an opportunity also to thank Daniel Samantha, the team, Jim
[2:20:43] Calendar, Carolyn Rashford, all the work that they have done
[2:20:47] and where you have taken our organisation to have a
[2:20:49] better understanding of what an interaction looks like. Thank you.
[2:20:59] Clementation update under our RIBD strategy. More importantly, it responds
[2:21:05] directly to some of the questions and some of the
[2:21:07] recommendations that were developed by our Community Advisory panel. Some
[2:21:11] of you heard from them just last month. The beauty
[2:21:15] of this work and really where this work comes from
[2:21:19] is working with our community advisory panel. So they have
[2:21:22] played a central role in the development of this strategy
[2:21:25] over a two year period, bringing lived experience, bringing professional
[2:21:29] expertise, Community Knowledge, and critical perspectives to our strategy. So
[2:21:35] really without them, the strategy, this work is really non
[2:21:39] - existent. We've met more than 50 times for multiple
[2:21:42] hours over the last couple of years. We see the
[2:21:47] recommendations from the Community Advisory Panel as ongoing guidance. We
[2:21:52] don't just see this as something that we're looking to
[2:21:54] check off over the next year, and we're done with
[2:21:56] it. This work continues to develop, and it continues to
[2:22:00] develop with our community. So the Community Advisory panel last
[2:22:04] month, they provided us with a number of recommendations. They
[2:22:08] can be understood in two sort of connected areas. On
[2:22:12] one hand is evidence itself. How are we collecting in
[2:22:17] race and identity - based information? How are we connecting
[2:22:19] it? How are we validating it? And most importantly, how
[2:22:22] are we analysing it? The second part of this is
[2:22:26] concern with how evidence is interpreted, how we are engaging
[2:22:30] with our community. And these two things cannot be separated,
[2:22:33] right? More sophisticated analysis has very limited value. If the
[2:22:38] findings are not understandable, if they're not connected to the
[2:22:41] community who's asking the questions. So together, the recommendations provide
[2:22:45] ongoing guidance for us. So this report for today, this
[2:22:50] update, it shouldn't be seen as the final answer to
[2:22:52] all of these recommendations. It represents an early and concrete
[2:22:56] implementation step. Several recommendations are already reflected in how this
[2:23:02] analysis and a report was done with respect to benchmarking,
[2:23:08] really considering how do we measure racial disparities, really being
[2:23:11] serious about that. Advanced analytics, and more importantly, some plain
[2:23:16] language explanations for our community. The other recommendations that have
[2:23:21] not been implemented yet. They will require not just one
[2:23:25] report, but over time investments in our analytics and work
[2:23:30] with our community on the engagement front. So putting the
[2:23:34] recommendations into practice, as we know use of force, was
[2:23:38] selected as the first priority area, because it's one of
[2:23:40] the most consequential forms of police public interactions. Although use
[2:23:45] of force is rare, and as we've discussed that today,
[2:23:48] each incident can still have significant impact on our community.
[2:23:52] So the questions examined so far did not emerge just
[2:23:55] from data or just from the police service itself. They
[2:23:58] were developed through structured discussions with our advisory panel. So
[2:24:04] questions surrounding, you know, not whether just racial disparities appeared.
[2:24:09] But wanting to understand where disparities arise, whether people experience
[2:24:13] similar outcomes in similar circumstances. What happens before forces applied?
[2:24:18] And what information is still missing from this whole discussion?
[2:24:21] So very early on, there are some discussion within the
[2:24:25] support in terms of how do we measure racial disparity.
[2:24:29] Our Community Advisory panel has pushed us in terms of
[2:24:31] how do we measure it, not just relying solely on
[2:24:35] simple descriptive basic statistics such as comparing how many individuals
[2:24:39] are involved in a use of force incident compared to
[2:24:42] how many there may be in Hamilton. But really, when
[2:24:45] we are interacting with members of the public, are these
[2:24:50] incidents, our individuals being treated equal once they enter police
[2:24:53] contact. So that is what is coming out of this
[2:24:56] report specifically. So there are a number of findings that
[2:24:59] are found in this interim report, and this report will
[2:25:01] be made public, the data will be made public on
[2:25:04] our RABD website. So this is not just the be
[2:25:07] - all and end - all. But the findings that
[2:25:10] we're seeing is that there are two. Number one is
[2:25:12] that use of force is declining over time, as we
[2:25:15] have discussed today. Second, we see disproportionalities and disproportionality remains,
[2:25:21] but it depends on the benchmark that we are using.
[2:25:25] The panel has recommended that we consider an interaction benchmark.
[2:25:28] So arrests, for example, or individuals that were stopping. When
[2:25:33] we use a benchmark like this overrepresentation is less consistent,
[2:25:38] which is a good finding for our service. And one
[2:25:43] larger finding that's in this report is, you know, when
[2:25:46] we use analysis that can control for the multiple different
[2:25:49] factors that are involved in a use of force incident,
[2:25:53] such as the perception of a weapon, such as the
[2:25:56] incident type, the number of officers. Once we control for
[2:26:00] that, we see no significant differences in, for instance, the
[2:26:05] severity of force for certain racialized groups compared to non
[2:26:09] - racialized individuals. So from this analysis, it's suggesting that
[2:26:13] contextual factors, situational factors, a really amplifying the likelihood of
[2:26:18] a higher severity of force. But that's just one question,
[2:26:21] and that's just three years of data, essentially. So that
[2:26:24] is found in this report in the data is also
[2:26:27] going to be made public. Um, so again, getting back
[2:26:29] to how do we measure racial disparities and use of
[2:26:33] force? What data is available to us? And how can
[2:26:36] we control for the complexity that's involved? So I'm just
[2:26:41] going to skip a little bit down to the last
[2:26:44] couple of slides. So a community member may have a
[2:26:47] serious or deeply negative experience that does not appear in
[2:26:51] our patterns, in our trends. That experiencer means real and
[2:26:55] important. So statistical analysis works across MIDI incidents at once.
[2:26:59] We can test relationships. We can see if there is
[2:27:01] evidence. But it can't decide what happened in any individual
[2:27:05] encounter. So what we are trying to do with this
[2:27:08] strategy, and we're going to continue to do over time,
[2:27:10] uh, is to bring different forms of evidence together, um,
[2:27:14] where we don't have administrative data considering body warrant camera
[2:27:17] analysis, which is a recommendation from our CAP in which
[2:27:20] we have started to implement in our analysis work so
[2:27:22] far. Community experience continuing to engage with the community advisory
[2:27:27] panel. Again, trying to strengthen our understanding, um, and this
[2:27:33] is where Community interpretation is critical. So, uh, where this
[2:27:37] work is going next. We want to continue to build
[2:27:39] our evidence base. This is what this report has suggested.
[2:27:43] And then the secondarily, but actually equally is the recommendations
[2:27:48] with respect to Community Engagement. So this is found in
[2:27:51] this report as well. Um, one partnership that we're especially
[2:27:56] proud of, and I'm going to leave on this on
[2:27:58] the last couple of notes. The next stage of our
[2:28:00] work is going to be supported by a federal research
[2:28:02] grant. Um, so we partnered with Dr. Clifton Vanderlinden of
[2:28:06] McMaster University, uh, and Dr. Kwasi Owafu Bempa from the
[2:28:11] University of Toronto, who is done a lot of work
[2:28:13] in this space. Uh, and we received a social science
[2:28:16] and humanity's research council, partnership engage grant, uh, So that
[2:28:22] funding, uh, is it importance, um, you know, for us
[2:28:26] to continue doing rigorous analysis. It also shows that this
[2:28:30] work, um, is necessary. It's been vetted by an external
[2:28:35] body, such as shirk. Um, and we also placed in
[2:28:39] the top three in this competition of many different projects.
[2:28:42] So this is one thing that we're really happy for,
[2:28:45] happy with. I mean, when I continue this, I'm going,
[2:28:47] these types of partnerships into the future. So to conclude
[2:28:51] everything with this report, the panels recommendations provide really strong
[2:28:56] ongoing guidance in a long - term roadmap. The report
[2:28:59] shows the work moving beyond commitment moving beyond data collection
[2:29:04] towards rigorous analysis, interpretation, and implementation. There is still considerable
[2:29:10] work ahead. Improving our evidence, monitoring patterns over time, uh,
[2:29:15] and keeping involving communities and how the findings are interpreted.
[2:29:19] And report on these things publicly over time, uh, with
[2:29:23] open data, uh, with dashboards online, uh, and et cetera.
[2:29:27] Most importantly, we must use what is learned to inform
[2:29:30] practical improvements. Um, for policy, for training, how we collect
[2:29:34] our data, um, and engagement overall. So the goal is
[2:29:38] not simply to produce another report. It is to establish
[2:29:42] a sustained process of accountability, of learning, um, and continue
[2:29:47] to, uh, contribute to more equitable policing in public trust.
[2:29:50] Thank you. Moved by member Spada
[2:30:01] or Padula second by member spot of four. Can you
[2:30:04] just wait down the super heavily questions. Are there any
[2:30:07] discussions on the matter. We're good. Thank you for your
[2:30:12] presentation. All in favor. Posed carried. Did Dan will
[2:30:23] reporter, right? And I'm just going in close. H. Going
[2:30:27] into close. Can I get a motion for the board
[2:30:32] to move into closed section and accordance with section 441
[2:30:36] and two of the community safety and policing act as
[2:30:39] the board will be considering personal matters about identifiable individuals,
[2:30:43] including members of the police service. Or any other employee
[2:30:47] of the employees of the board, a proposed or pending
[2:30:50] acquisition or disposition to land by the board, labour relations
[2:30:56] are employee negotiations or potential litigation affecting the board, including
[2:31:01] matters before administrative tribunals moved by member Spadafora. Second by
[2:31:08] member Padulo. His reign discussion on the matter. All in
[2:31:13] favor. Carried. Anyone not required required remain in closed session.
[2:31:20] Please exit the Council Chambers after the board has completed
[2:31:24] its closed section. We will rise and report in a
[2:31:27] public session. The board will take a 10 minute recess
[2:31:29] prior to commencing its closing session.
[3:21:14] During closed session, today the board approved its closed minutes
[3:21:18] of May 22, 2026, though with confidential items that fall
[3:21:22] under the Section 441 and two of the Community Safety.
[3:21:26] And placing Act may please go to mover into Secondar
[3:21:28] to receive the chair's report back, move by members, Spadafora,
[3:21:32] second by member St. Gene. Is there any discussion. Seeing
[3:21:35] none all in favor. Carried. The next regular meeting of
[3:21:41] the board will take place on Thursday, July the 23rd,
[3:21:45] 2026 in the Council Chambers at City Hall. If there's
[3:21:49] no further business, can I get a motion to adjourn.
[3:21:54] Any discussion, all in favor. Carried.