Hamilton’s Committee Against Racism wants members of Hamilton’s “diverse communities” to have a seat on the selection committee this fall when Hamilton City Council decides who will sit on the 2022-2026 Hamilton Police Services Board.
During their meeting last Tuesday, CAR unanimously voted to call for Council to create a special selection committee for the process to ensure the voices of diverse communities are heard.
CAR members focused upon including communities which most often experience negative interactions with police and communities most targetted by hate crimes.
There are seven members on the Hamilton Police Services Board (HPSB). Three members are appointed by the provincial government, three City Councillors are appointed to the Board, and Council selects the final civilian member.
Presently, City Council appoints this person via their closed-session selection committee entirely made up of City councillors.
This is what CAR says needs to change.
They want to see a wider interview committee process with members from Hamilton’s Muslim, Jewish, Black, South Asian, LGBTQ, and Indigenous communities among those represented in the process.
CAR’s motion must be approved by City Clerk Andrea Holland’s office to be placed on a future meeting agenda for Council’s Audit, Finance, and Administration Committee.
The video of the meeting can be watched on the City’s YouTube page.
Production Details v. 1.0.0 First published: May 28, 2022 Last edited: May 28, 2022 Author: Joey Coleman Edit Record v. 1.0.0 original version