Hamilton police hold talks over officer suspended for ‘disturbing’ social media posts

The civilian body tasked to govern Hamilton police held a discussion on a suspended officer Thursday, who has been tied to social media posts supporting white nationalism.

It was one of many items on the meeting’s agenda.

Hamilton police say the matter is under investigation still, and when they found out about the social media post, they suspended the officer immediately.

Despite the internal review, the Hamilton Anti-Racism Resource Centre (HARRC) says they want to see clearer policies on such matters.

“When the media releases the name of an individual and the police service doesn’t release the name of the individual, the public’s perception is that there is a lack of trust,” said Cameron Kroetsch, Hamilton’s Ward 2 Councillor.

Kroetsch asked Hamilton police why they don’t confirm information that has been made public by other sources as it looks into the conduct of one of its officers.

“If an officer is charged criminally, our policy is that is released proactively to the media, for a criminal charge,” said a Hamilton police officer that attended the meeting. “This is not a criminal charge, this is a misconduct investigation.”

During Thursday’s Hamilton Police Services board meeting, committee members discussed policy and governance when it comes to matters involving personnel, not particular investigations.

This follows Hamilton Police Service’s decision in August, where they suspended a 23-year member — with pay — after a series of “troubling” social media posts were found online.

Police have said they’re looking into the matter internally, and will take disciplinary action if a breach of conduct is found.

“I’ll answer this question and maybe this will help,” said Hamilton Police Chief Frank Bergen. “Upon learning about this from the media, I immediately suspended the member.”

Meanwhile, HARRC released photos connected to the matter.

“In December 2024, we reported to the professional standards branch that we received photos of a vehicle parked outside the station with Diagolon decals,” said Lyndon George, the Director of HARRC, “and we were concerned this was an employee of the service.”

George showed images of a jeep that displayed the logo of the group Diagolon. According to a report in 2023, RCMP documents have described Diagolon as a militia-like network. HARRC also displayed posts on X with the account name: Renato Greco.

Earlier this month, Hamilton police confirmed that they were made aware of another employee engaging with content tied to the Proud Boys, a white nationalist group.

George is calling on Hamilton police to implement a clearer policy for its officers on matters regarding associating with hate groups or engaging in hate-related content.

“That is not only troubling, it is problematic under a community lens,” said George. “What we’re saying here today is that we need a robust oversight.”

Also today, Hamilton Mayor Andrea Horwath announced that she is stepping down from the Police Services Board, due to scheduling conflicts.

She added that this will be the right time to add another member that could give the role the focus it deserves.

READ MORE: Hamilton police suspend member after ‘disturbing’ social media posts