During a recent survey by CBC in downtown Hamilton regarding safety in the city, the majority expressed varying degrees of unease.
Despite this, when informed by a reporter that Hamilton’s crime rates have consistently remained below both provincial and national averages for the past five years, the respondents were surprised. This information was sourced from data published by Statistics Canada in July.
According to the statistics, Hamilton’s crime severity index, encompassing all Criminal Code violations, drug offenses, and Federal Statutes violations, has consistently been lower than the provincial and national averages.
Additionally, Hamilton has witnessed a continual decline in the homicide rate over the past three years and has remained below provincial and federal levels since 2021.
Discrepancy between public perception and data: police perspective
Hamilton Police Service Chief Frank Bergen highlighted a disconnect between the statistical data and public sentiment.
Speaking at a community safety summit in November, Bergen mentioned, “While the crime severity index in the city is showing positive trends, the public perception of safety does not align with this data.”
At another community gathering in May, where concerns about downtown safety were raised, police disclosed data indicating that the average “crime harm” rate in the city is similar in both downtown and other areas.
During a panel discussion moderated by community advocate Evelyn Myrie at the November summit, she suggested that the recent bold criminal activities, such as the tragic deaths of Belinda Sarkodie and Harsimrat Randhawa in 2025, might contribute to the public’s feelings of insecurity.
In May, members of Hamilton Police’s Crime Information and Analysis team, Daniel Mosannef and Samantha Henderson, attributed the perception gap to factors like “social disorder,” which encompasses issues such as open drug use, homelessness, public experiences, and external influences like social media.
Rising instances of hate crimes and youth involvement in violent offenses
Despite the overall decline in crime rates, there has been a notable increase in hate crimes in Hamilton, escalating annually in 2024 and 2025.
As per a report from July, 2025 marked the highest number of reported hate crimes and incidents in the city over the past decade, surging from 82 reports in 2020.
Another concerning trend is the involvement of youths aged 12 to 17 in violent crimes.
In an interview in August, Mosannef informed CBC Hamilton that since 2020, there has been a gradual rise in youth engagement in criminal activities. In 2025, there were 1,252 instances of youth involvement in crimes, out of which 689 were violent offenses. Comparing these figures to 2019, there was about an eight percent increase in overall youth involvement in crimes, and nearly a 40 percent surge in youth participating in violent offenses.
Mosannef also highlighted an increase in the harm associated with crimes, noting a rise from 84,000 in 2019 to 93,564, indicating a significant escalation.
Analyst attributes rise in youth involvement in violent crimes to multiple factors
This year, there have been warnings about young individuals engaging in bear spray attacks, with children as young as 11 facing charges. Additionally, youths in the region have been implicated in high-profile smash-and-grab robberies. Out of the eight homicide victims in Hamilton this year, four were teenagers, and one was 21. In at least one fatal shooting involving a teenager as the suspect, the victim was also a teenager.
Mosannef acknowledged the existence of a significant issue, extending beyond Hamilton, and emphasized the need for ongoing discussions among criminologists worldwide.
While refraining from making definitive conclusions, Mosannef mentioned potential factors contributing to this rise, such as economic disparities, recruitment by criminal organizations, and the influence of social media.
He stressed that addressing this issue is not solely a policing concern but a broader societal challenge encompassing community, provincial, and national levels.
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