The Guelph Police Service views any hate crime investigation as a high priority.

Say no to hate

We recognize that racism, prejudice and bias exist, and we take all crime very seriously, especially crime that is motivated by hate. Hate is not welcome in our community.

In the Criminal Code of Canada there are three offences that specifically pertain to hate:

Other offences can be referred to as hate-motivated, but these investigations are complex.

In order for the Guelph Police Service to consider laying a hate-motivated criminal charge, hate toward a victim must have motivated the criminal offence.

Before laying a hate-motivated criminal charge, the Guelph Police Service must consult with our local Crown Attorney’s Office, who will then need to get consent from the Attorney General’s Office in some cases.

If a person is convicted of a criminal offence and it’s proven to be motivated by hate, higher penalties may be imposed by the judge during sentencing.

We want to assure the public that we take all reported crime, including hate-motivated crime, very seriously. In all incidents, we utilize the appropriate resources to ensure a thorough investigation is conducted. All of our officers are trained to deal with hate-motivated criminal offences. In addition, the Guelph Police Service always has a Detective Constable acting as our Hate Crime Coordinator. They are tasked with monitoring, tracking and assisting with these investigations, while also developing pro-active strategies aimed at reducing hate-motivated crime.

For further information regarding hate-motivated crime, please watch the What Is Hate-Motivated Crime video from the Peel Regional Police Equity & Inclusion Bureau.

To report a hate crime, please dial 911 if the incident is:

  • an emergency
  • in progress
  • an immediate danger to yourself or someone else

Otherwise, please call 519-824-1212.

Hate Crime & Extremism Investigative Team

The Guelph Police Service is supporting the fight against hate and extremism in Ontario in order to ensure diverse and safe communities, through its participation on the Hate Crime and Extremism Investigative Team (HCEIT). The HCEIT is a network of 13 police services which co-ordinates intelligence gathering for police and provides specialized support on investigations into hate-motivated crimes. The team’s mandate is to conduct multi-jurisdictional strategic and tactical intelligence operations targeting individuals or groups involved in hate crime and criminal extremism. The HCEIT works closely with the Ontario Provincial Police, Criminal Intelligence Service Ontario, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Canadian Security Intelligence Service and Canada Border Service Agency.

Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Committee

Our Equity, Diversity and Inclusion committee is very hard at work addressing needs within our multicultural and BIPOC communities. This committee aims to support community initiatives, promote inclusivity, implement outreach programs, develop relationships by engaging community members, provide education training and mediate in times of crisis. Learn more about the Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Committee.