A 10-year assessment of Chatham-Kent's (CK) safety and well-being has found that local hate crime rates are rising, but continue to be well below provincial trends.
An information report going to CK council on Monday evening notes that between 2021 and 2025, Chatham-Kent police reported nine hate crimes and 59 hate incidents, an increase of three per cent per compared with a 45 per cent increase across Ontario.
Administration said the most common reported local incidents related to race (40 per cent), religion (36 per cent), and sexual orientation (19 per cent) and are consistent with provincial trends.
Strong social connections get most of the credit for the lower hate crime rate, along with a high degree of local pride, stable neighbourhood conditions, and lower housing costs than provincial levels, according to the staff report.
Growing population diversity, proactive collection of hate crime and hate incident data by CK police, community libraries, recreation facilities, faith communities, and community events for residents to connect and build relationships were also protective factors identified in CK.
However, the assessment done between 2014 and 2024 also identified emerging pressures that could weaken social connection and increase vulnerability to hate and violence over time.
The most significant concern assessed is growing economic pressure, particularly food insecurity. The assessment also identified poor access to primary healthcare, specialist services, transportation, and culturally responsive supports as concerns.
"Unequal access to health and social services may reduce trust in institutions and deepen feelings of exclusion," the information report stated.
Other concerns cited in the report include declining feelings of belonging, increasing polarization, youth violence, bullying, intimate partner violence, hate speech, online harassment, misogyny, anti-Black racism, and Islamophobia.
"Online misinformation and hate-related content may further increase social tension. These pressures do not remove Chatham-Kent’s existing strengths, but they show the need for continued prevention efforts," staff said.
The assessment recommends building on CK’s strengths while addressing emerging risks, including the following recommendations:
1. Strengthen community belonging by creating opportunities for residents to build relationships, increase understanding across differences, and foster a stronger sense of connection to the community.
2. Increase opportunities for youth by supporting programs that help young people build purpose and leadership skills.
3. Expand support for food security initiatives for schools and families.
4. Improve awareness and reporting of hate incidents.
5. Monitor local trends by requesting an annual report from Chatham-Kent Police Service on hate crimes and hate incidents to support evidence-based planning and prevention efforts.
6. Build community capacity to respond to harm and division through training, education, and community dialogue.
7. Increase digital literacy and awareness of online harms by supporting education on topics such as misinformation, online hate, and extremist content.
The Canadian Centre for Safer Communities also gave Chatham-Kent’s readiness for coordinated, multi-sector prevention work a 3.9 out of 5.
Administration noted the results reinforce the need for several existing strategic plans that improve belonging, inclusion, access to services, and overall well-being.
The Community Safety and Well-Being Plan lists substance use, mental health, housing and income security, public safety, community belonging, child, youth, and family wellness as the most severe threats to community safety and well-being that require immediate action until 2029.
The report also indicates that hate crimes are significantly underreported, with estimates suggesting that as few as one in 10 are reported.
