Noise-bylaw SWAT Team’s Coming To Hamilton?

by Terry Wilson
Canadian Awareness Network
November 28, 2012

This evening I was at Hamilton city hall, watching and listening to police chief Glenn Decaire pitch the proposed 2013 Hamilton police budget. A budget with a request for a 5.25% increase to funding while every other department of the city is having to “trim” budgets.

Mayor Bob Britannia stated “it would bring a small increase to taxes, in the range of $30 a year per person” to cover the increase. Councilor Whitehead countered this by stating that “its has been an increase of $30 a person year after year, and it all adds up for struggling families”.

It was brought up several times that this increase would be a “hard sell” to the people of Hamilton. In my personal opinion this is extremely true, especially since the board wants to hire SWAT teams for noise disturbance calls.

Sounds crazy right? But sadly I couldn’t make this stuff up!

Committee backs study of noise-bylaw SWAT team
Thespec.com
“The city is moving closer to a “commando” unit of bylaw enforcement officers to handle late-night noise complaints.

The general issues committee on Wednesday approved the suggestion from Councillor Sam Merulla to look into the idea.

Right now, only police officers respond to noise complaints between 1 a.m. and 7 a.m. City staff say it’s often too dangerous for bylaw officers to walk into loud parties, especially when there’s alcohol involved.

Merulla says a noise-complaint unit would probably need special equipment, such as bulletproof vests, and training in self-defence and conflict resolution.

The decision still faces ratification in council.”

How can any city council or police board expect people to accept tax increases, the hiring of more police officers, etc. While pushing idea’s like having commando teams for noise complaints? Of course it would be a hard sell. A “sale” that should not be attempted!

Mayor Britannia displayed how out of touch he is with the people of the city tonight by stating that he is yet to speak with a person who thinks there are too many police in the city. Anyone who believes this needs to take a walk through downtown, or any other lower income area of the city and ask the people what they think. From my experience thoughts between enough police, to too many. Are about 50/50.

Continue down the path of Commando SWAT teams for noise complaints and that will be a null question. Then we will be asking is Hamilton a total police state, funded on the backs of the hard working families?