Media Watch – Downtown Crime in Hamilton
Written By: Sebastian Bron, The Hamilton Spectator
Published September 8, 2026
1. Do you think downtown crime is a problem?
Yes. Downtown safety is a serious concern. However, let’s be clear: violent crime, gangs, illegal drugs and gun violence are not confined to downtown-it’s right across Hamilton now.
Hamilton experienced a record level of shootings in 2024. Hamilton Police described it as a “record increase in shootings,” and their annual report showed incidents of discharging a firearm with intent increased nearly 48 per cent that year.
We are also seeing violent crime in places and circumstances never seen before- with innocent people caught in gunfire, shootings in public places and young people involved in acts of extreme violence.
Hamilton has become dangerous and unsafe.
Hamilton Police’s own community safety research shows residents continue to have serious concerns about violence, drugs and disorder. I hear the same thing from residents and businesses across the city: people do not feel safe.
I welcome improvements in any crime statistic, but the dangerous nature of our streets cannot be dismissed because an index went down. Public safety is ultimately about whether people can go downtown, wait for a bus, visit a business or walk through their neighbourhood and feel safe.
Hamiltonians don’t feel safe. Businesses are leaving the city because of it. We need to take this seriously.
We need a Mayor who will sit on the Police Board and work to make Hamilton the safest city in Ontario- I am that Mayor.
2. What would you do to address crime and make downtown safer?
My goal is to make Hamilton one of the safest cities in Ontario.
As Mayor, I will sit on the Hamilton Police Service Board and make public safety a direct priority. The current Mayor chose not to continue serving on the Police Board, while continuing to serve on Alectra’s Board of Directors, a paid position. I would make a different choice. Public safety is government’s first responsibility, and I believe the Mayor should be directly engaged and accountable.
My strategy has three parts: prevention, enforcement and rehabilitation.
We need to prevent crime before it starts by engaging young people and investing in recreation, sports and mentorship. We need strong, proactive enforcement targeting gangs, illegal guns and illegal drugs, along with visible policing in our communities. And we need effective rehabilitation and supports to break the cycle of repeat offending.
Public safety is government’s first responsibility. As Mayor, I intend to take responsibility for it.
3. Do you support Core Patrol and the new Jackson Square police substation?
Yes. I support Core Patrol and the Jackson Square substation. Residents and businesses have asked for a stronger, more visible police presence downtown, and we should listen to them.
But they are tools, not the entire solution. If we increase police presence in one location without addressing the causes of crime and disorder, we risk simply displacing the problem to another street or neighbourhood.
We need to deal with the root cause, which is guns, gangs and drugs- we need to break the business model of drugs in our city. I will do that.
We need visible policing downtown as part of a broader citywide strategy focused on prevention, enforcement and rehabilitation. Every Hamiltonian should be able to feel safe in every part of our city.
