Waterloo region is now above the provincial average for reported hate-motivated crimes after numbers rose drastically in 2023.
In a report shown to Waterloo Regional Police Service board members today, hate-motivated crimes have increased every year since 2019 and nearly doubled from 2022 to 2023.
"That stat is just alarming," said police board chair Ian McLean. "We see this when we ask people to report the numbers go up, because they know something will get done, but 94 per cent is just shocking."
WRPS defines a hate-motivated crime as a crime that occurs when someone breaks a law, and their action was motivated by hate. For example, an assault motivated by hate.
Manager for equity, diversity and inclusion at WRPS, Geraldine Stafford noted that these stats could include a spray-painted graffiti of a swastika or any crime that includes a hate motivation.
Over the past two years during data collection, police saw large increases in these crimes in the months of April and June, with 52 hate-motivated crimes being committed in June 2023 alone.
Stafford added that this pattern is likely to repeat itself this year, so, June 2024 has been identified as a time to start a new awareness campaign to reach community partners to break barriers and report crimes.
"It's really about building that relationship with the community and making it safe for them to report to police," she said. "Our community partners have a role and it's their duty to help their community members report to police."
One of the WRPS calls to action is to make sure people are reporting, because if there is no report they cannot take action.
Police note that a hate-motivated crime can be harassment, vandalism, threats or violence and every call for hate crimes will be investigated and charges will be laid if warranted.
Chief of police Mark Crowell notes that they continue to see this trend rise here in the region and across Canada.
"Some of this can be akin to trends we've seen with intimate partner violence, sexual violence where amplifying the community's awareness of the need to report and the community supports that are available beyond police, will see the rise in numbers," Crowell said.
He added the goal of police and the community is to create a central reporting system where victims feel safe to report and can access supports through a singular place.
This will make it easier to collect data, better understand the needs of the community and secure funding for support programs.