At a recent meeting of the Hamilton Police Services Board, Police Chief Frank Bergen provided updates on the investigation into a suspended officer’s support for white nationalist groups. The officer, Const. Renato Greco, was suspended after public social media posts came to light, including content shared from far-right groups and anti-immigrant messages. The police were unaware of Greco’s conduct until it was brought to their attention by CBC Hamilton in July.
The Hamilton Anti-Racism Resource Centre had previously warned police about Greco in December, and they later called for an independent civilian investigation into the matter. However, the police board did not discuss this request during the meeting, focusing instead on the ongoing investigation process.
HARRC had reported an individual displaying stickers for the extremist group Diagolon outside the police station, which was later discovered to be Greco’s car. The matter was escalated to provincial oversight agencies, with the Inspector General of Policing and the Law Enforcement Complaints Agency now conducting investigations.
During the meeting, concerns were raised about the presence of hate within the police ranks, with a call for clearer procedures on addressing hate crimes committed by officers. Mayor Andrea Horwath announced her resignation from the police board due to scheduling conflicts and emphasized the importance of reporting hate crimes to the police for record-keeping purposes.
