Funding to Fight Hate Crime and Extremism

The provincial government is renewing funding to the Hate Crime and Extremism Investigative Team which is made up of representatives of police services across the province. The renewed funding will allow the team to continue its public information program with school boards and community groups. So far, the team has produced three videos to help educate front-line police officers, Crown attorneys and the community about hate crimes and extremism in Ontario. It will also help cover the cost of adding Peel Regional Police as the 11th member of the team.

Backgrounder

The Hate Crime and Extremism Investigative Team

The Joint Forces Hate Crime and Extremism Investigative Team provides specialized support to help police fight hate propaganda, the promotion of genocide, hate-motivated crimes and criminal extremism. The team also produces training and information material for front-line police officers, Crown attorneys and community groups on hate crimes and extremism.

The team is made up of officers from 11 Ontario police services. In 2003, police services in London, Guelph, Hamilton, Waterloo and Ottawa came together to form the team. Toronto, York Region, Durham, Halton and Oxford police services joined in 2005. This year, the team expanded once more to include the Peel Regional Police Service.

What is a Hate Crime?

The Criminal Code contains several serious hate-crime offences, including public incitement of hatred, wilful promotion of hatred, advocating genocide, and committing mischief in relation to religious property. Before these charges are laid, the Attorney General's consent is required.

In addition, the Criminal Code also states that when a person is convicted of any criminal offence, the judge who imposes sentence should consider that it is an aggravating factor if the offence is motivated by hate, bias or prejudice based on race, national or ethnic origin, language, colour, religion, sex, age, mental or physical disability, sexual orientation, or any other similar factor.

Training Crown Counsel

Crown counsel with expertise in hate crimes legislation provide legal advice to the police and other Crown attorneys on hate-crime related matters. The Ministry of the Attorney General also conducted a review of the Crown policy manual and updated Crown prosecution policy on hate crimes to ensure that it is up-to-date, reflects legal developments and addresses the current social environment.

Funding Community Organizations Fighting Hate Crimes

Community-based organizations that support victims of hate crimes have been invited to apply for special project funding from the Victims' Justice Fund through the Ministry of the Attorney General's Community Grant program since 2005. Seventeen community organizations have received a total of more than $1 million for projects to support victims of hate crimes.

Funding Police Education on Hate Crime and Extremism

The McGuinty government is investing $50,000 to develop a training and education package for police officers. The package will create a greater awareness of hate crimes and help police recognize subtle but hateful propaganda and activities. This package will supplement the basic hate crimes training that all police officers receive.

The Ontario Provincial Police

The Ontario Provincial Police maintains a Hate Crime/Extremism Unit as part of its Intelligence Bureau. This unit works closely with its municipal and federal counterparts in monitoring and assisting with hate crime issues.

Police Services

The government requires that all police services in Ontario have policies and procedures in place to undertake and manage investigations into hate/bias and hate propaganda occurrences.

All police recruits receive hate/bias crime instruction at the Ontario Police College as part of their basic training.