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Hamilton police chief sounds alarm over weekend violence

A Hamilton Police cruiser.
A Hamilton Police cruiser. Photo by Brad Hunter /Toronto Sun

Hamilton Police Chief Frank Bergen is raising the alarm over increasing violence in Steeltown.

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While the city’s homicide rate has plummeted from the prior two bloody years, gunplay and other violence persist. Many of the incidents could have turned into a one-way ticket to the morgue.

“We should all be disturbed by the events over the weekend. We can’t be lulled into complacency by accepting this is what our city has become,” Bergen said in a press release.

On Saturday around 4 a.m., officers responded to reports of multiple gunshots in the Main St. E. and Catharine St. S. area. Bullet casings were located in the area but there were no reported injuries.

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On Sunday around 2:34 a.m., officers responded to reports of another shooting, this time in the area of Catharine St. N. and King William St. Cops found an adult male at the scene who was taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. A male suspect was taken into custody at the scene.

Later on Sunday, just after 9 a.m., a store clerk was stabbed after he confronted a suspect who was stealing food and other items in the area of Main St. E. and Emerald St. area. When confronted, the suspect pulled out a knife and stabbed the clerk before fleeing.

Hamilton Police also seized a number of guns and associated weaponry. So far, officers have seized 234 guns from city streets.

According to cops, since Nov. 27, there have been five shootings and two robberies where a firearm was brandished as well as a robbery where the suspects threatened the victim with a knife and taser.

And despite the drop in the murder rate, shootings were up 24% over this time in 2021 and the violent crime rate is up 18% since 2018.

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Now, Bergen says Hamilton Police will be piling more resources into addressing violent crime.

“I have seen these numbers rise since I joined Hamilton Police Service in 2018. This can’t be our new normal. Thanks to our members for their hard work in tackling these challenging issues. We have to be relentless in addressing crime and work closely with our community to find solutions to the increasing trend,” Bergen added.

bhunter@postmedia.com

@HunterTOSun