Survey of LGBTQ2 community calls on Hamilton police to acknowledge harm, increase accountability
Global News
Calls for accountability and acknowledgment of police harm were among the responses to a survey of Hamilton's LGBTQ2 community instigated by the independent review of Pride 2019.
Hamilton police have released the survey results of the city’s LGBTQ2 community as the service works toward implementing the recommendations from an independent review of Pride 2019.
The findings from the survey conducted by McMaster University researchers have been compiled in a report that will be presented to Hamilton’s police services board next week.
Respondents were asked questions about who would be suitable for the role of a third-party facilitator between police and the LGBTQ2 community, as well as the creation of a community advisory panel, and issues that should be addressed in future conversations.
The survey found that the facilitator should be someone who is politically neutral, unbiased, independent of the Hamilton police and a member of the LGBTQ2 community. The person should understand historical oppression of marginalized groups by police, have previous experience working with the LGBTQ2 community or other marginalized groups and a background in trauma-informed practices.
Chief Frank Bergen said the responses they received will guide how the service makes its next steps.
“We’re very, very encouraged that by the beginning of April, we’ll have the ability to now do public outreach to make sure then that we can move this conversation forward, a conversation that needs to occur,” he said during an interview on Global News Radio 900 CHML’s Bill Kelly Show.
He added that discussions are already underway to prepare for June’s Pride festival if Pride Hamilton opts to hold an in-person event this year — something that hasn’t happened since 2019 because of the pandemic.
The survey is a component of just one of 38 recommendations from an independent review, which condemned how Hamilton police responded to violence at Pride 2019.