Hamilton has earned the dubious distinction of having the highest rate of police-reported hate crimes in the country.

In 2016, 70 hate crimes were reported in the city, which works out to 12.5 per 100,000 population, a recent Statistics Canada study notes.

"It's definitely not a new problem. What's happening, I think, is we're seeing unaddressed issues being represented right across Canada," said Ameil Joseph, a McMaster University professor who studies trends in racism.

Ottawa's rate of 9.5 per 100,000 population was second highest.

Of Hamilton's 70 hate crimes in 2016, 26 per cent targeted the black population and 27 per cent the Jewish population, the Statistics Canada study found. In 2015, there were 55 reports (9.9 rate); in 2014, there were 82 (14.9 rate).

Across the country, Canadian police services reported 1,409 hate crimes in 2016, which was three per cent higher than 2015.

The study authors attribute the increase to more hate crimes targeting South Asian, Arab, West Asian and Jewish populations, as well as for sexual orientation.

But Joseph questions the report's potential to spark change: It opens by highlighting the relatively small three per cent increase in hate crimes and notes they "accounted for less than 0.1 per cent of the nearly 1.9 million police-reported crimes in 2016."

"If the first two points of the report are that it's not a big deal, then it doesn't do anything," Joseph said.

The study doesn't offer deep analysis of what's behind racism nor capture its often "insidious" and systemic nature, he added.

A more "nuanced" analysis is needed to understand racism's underpinnings, Joseph said.

The social work professor has been a staunch advocate for the new Hamilton Anti-Racism Resource Centre, which officially opened April 4 at 140 King St. E., the Effort Square building.

The centre's anti-racism lead, Princewill Ogban, is tasked with listening and offering advice to clients, referring them to other services, such as Legal Aid or the human rights tribunal. Joseph is analyzing data gathered through the centre to form a more detailed picture of racism in Hamilton.

It's not clear from the report if there was an increase in the number of people reporting hate crimes in 2016, or if they actual number of incidents was on the rise.

But Joseph says those who experience discrimination can be reluctant to go to police because they feel unable to prove racial motivations or doubt incidents will be classified as criminal.

"Sometimes people just let that slide because they don't know what to do with it."

They shouldn't let it go, says Sgt. Paul Corrigan, hate crime investigator with the Hamilton Police Service.

If someone reports a racial slur, for instance, police will try to track down the person who uttered it and at least explain why it's unacceptable, Corrigan said.

That incident is tracked, and if a pattern emerges, it could be used in court to argue an assault or threat was motivated by hate, which would merit a stiffer sentence, he said.

"We can say, 'No, no, he's made these comments before and he's escalated.'"

Last year, police met with roughly 40 groups and organizations in different settings to encourage reporting of hate crimes and solidify trust, Corrigan said.

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"We made a policy of doing that, telling, 'You have to come and tell us when someone is doing something to you.'"

The vast majority of reports in Hamilton fall under the category of "hate bias incidents," such as slurs, rather than " hate crimes," like assaults, threats or mischief, Corrigan noted.

His unit investigates an average of 10 to 12 alleged hate crimes per month, he estimated. The No. 1 offence is graffiti, which tends to increase in prominence in warmer months.

On the whole, Corrigan said he feels optimistic about tackling hate crimes in Canada.

Though it's too early to see in the statistics, if anything, the effect of Donald Trump's divisive presidency in the United States seems to have galvanized resistance north of the border, he said.

"People are now actually coming out and holding people to account."

Joseph, however, suggests that even if the Statistics Canada report of three per cent might appear negligible to some, it's not cause for optimism.

"What is it we're not doing? And who's accountable for this, for this standard set that Hamilton now has the most police-reported hate crimes?"

tmoro@thespec.com

905-526-3264 | @TeviahMoro

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