Hamilton Police Service

What Hamilton Police Service does

Hamilton Police Service (HPS) is a municipal law enforcement agency providing public safety services to the City of Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, serving approximately 545,000 residents. Established in 1833 and operating under the authority of the Ontario Police Services Act, the service is overseen by the Hamilton Police Services Board and led by Chief Frank Bergen (appointed May 2021). HPS employs 829 sworn officers and 414 civilian staff across three physical stations (Central Station 24/7, East End Station, Mountain Station), supported by 9-1-1 emergency dispatch, Text with 9-1-1 (T-9-1-1) for the Deaf/hard-of-hearing community, a non-emergency line, online crime reporting via the Rubicon platform, and a Crime Stoppers anonymous tip service.

The service's technology stack centers on operational law enforcement systems: 9-1-1 with Automatic Location/Number Identification, body-worn cameras, automated license plate recognition (ALPR), remotely piloted aircraft systems (drones), and an interactive online crime mapping tool. Specialized units include the K-9, Marine, and mounted patrol, alongside investigative services such as the Missing Persons Unit (handling 1,700+ cases annually), Unsolved Homicides Database, Hate Crime Case Review Team (launched June 2024), and the Victim Services Branch with its 24/7 crisis line and Trauma Bear program.

HPS is funded almost entirely through municipal government appropriations and taxes, with marginal cost-recovery streams including false-alarm dispatch fees ($169.50 per false dispatch, $84.75 per cancelled dispatch), criminal record checks, and paid-duty officer hourly rates for private events. The service operates exclusively within Hamilton's geographic jurisdiction as a statutory monopoly and partners with St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton (COAST crisis team), McMaster University, SACHA, the OPP (Provincial Anti-Terrorism Section), and Crime Stoppers. Recent strategic priorities include the Bergman Report implementation following the 2019 Pride incident, the Race and Identity-Based Data Strategy (RIBD), and the Hate Crime Case Review Team to strengthen community accountability.

Name

Hamilton Police Service

Legal name

Hamilton Police Service

Website

https://hamiltonpolice.on.ca

Company type

Public

Founded year

1833

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Hamilton Police Service is a municipal law enforcement agency serving the City of Hamilton, Ontario (population ~545,000) under the Ontario Police Services Act, with 829 sworn officers and 414 civilians providing 9-1-1 emergency response, criminal investigations, victim services, and community policing funded through municipal taxation.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Municipal Law Enforcement

NAICS

Police Protection (922120), Police Protection (92212)

SIC

Services-Detective, Guard & Armored Car Services (7381)

akta.pro primary industry

Police Services (Patrol, Response & Community Policing) (BPAIAGAA)

Keywords

• Municipal law enforcement
• Emergency response services
• Crime prevention programs
• Victim support services
• Public safety services

Headquarters

HQ city

Hamilton

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Funding: Hamilton Police Service is a publicly funded municipal law enforcement agency primarily funded through municipal taxes and government allocations. Services are provided to all Hamilton residents at no direct cost.
2. Cost Recovery - False Alarm Response: Fee-based cost recovery for false alarm dispatches. Alarm companies or property owners are invoiced $169.50 (including HST) for false alarms requiring police dispatch, and $84.75 for cancelled dispatches.
3. Records and Background Checks: Fee-based criminal record checks, vulnerable sector checks, and background check services for employment and volunteer purposes.
4. Paid Duty Officers: Hiring of off-duty police officers for private events and security needs, providing revenue through hourly rates.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Hamilton Police Service is a municipal law enforcement agency that delivers emergency response (9-1-1 and T-9-1-1), non-emergency and online crime reporting, criminal investigations, road safety enforcement, victim support services, crime prevention programs, and community engagement initiatives to the 545,000 residents of Hamilton, Ontario. The service also provides fee-based records services (criminal record checks, fingerprinting) and paid-duty officers to businesses and organizations on a cost-recovery basis.

Product overview

Hamilton Police Service is a municipal police service providing comprehensive law enforcement to Hamilton, Ontario's 545,000 residents with 829 officers and 414 civilians. The service operates as a unified emergency and public safety operation rather than a software product platform. Core services include 9-1-1 emergency response (with Text with 9-1-1 accessibility), non-emergency and online crime reporting (via Rubicon platform), crime prevention programs, victim services (including 24/7 crisis support, VQRP financial assistance, and Trauma Bear program), criminal record checks, and road safety enforcement. Specialized investigative services include Missing Persons Unit (1,700+ annual cases), Unsolved Homicides Database, and Hate Crime Case Review Team. Community engagement programs include Citizens' Police College, Youth in Policing Initiative, and Fill the Pack campaign. The service also implements policy initiatives including the Bergman Report recommendations and Race and Identity-Based Data Strategy.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• 9-1-1 Emergency Response
• Text with 9-1-1 (T-9-1-1)
• Non-Emergency Reporting
• Online Crime Reporting
• Verified Alarm Response Program
• Crime Stoppers
• Criminal Record Checks
• Fingerprinting Services
• Online Crime Mapping Tool
• Missing Persons Unit
• Victim Services Branch
• Victim Quick Response Program (VQRP)
• Road Safety Services
• Citizens' Police College
• Paid Duty Officers

Quantifiable outcome

• 332 hate/bias incidents recorded in 2025 with 138 criminal offences - 12% increase reflecting growing community trust in reporting
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Ontario Provincial Police (OPP)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2024HPS joined the OPP-led Provincial Anti-Terrorism Section (PATS) enhancing intelligence sharing and risk assessment capabilities for threat prevention and response.
• Hate Crime Case Review Team (HCCRT)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2024Collaborative community-driven initiative launched June 2024 to improve accountability and transparency in hate crime investigations. Composed of 14 community representatives from 2S&LGBTQIA+, Black, Indigenous, Jewish, Muslim, and South Asian communities selected through open application process.
• McMaster UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2021Partnership with McMaster University's Office of Community Engagement to collect input from Hamilton's Two-Spirit and LGBTQIA+ communities through surveys (August-October 2021). Survey results inform ongoing police-community dialogue and service improvements following the Bergman Report recommendations.
• St. Joseph's Healthcare HamiltoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCOAST (Crisis Outreach & Support Team) program partnership - a multidisciplinary team of child and youth crisis workers, mental health workers, nurses, social workers, and plain-clothes police officers responding to mental health crises.
• City of HamiltoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMunicipal partnership for road safety campaigns including 'Share the Road' initiative with City of Hamilton and CAA South Central Ontario to raise awareness about cyclist and pedestrian safety.
• CAA South Central Ontario (SCO)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Share the Road campaign during Bike Month (May 31 - June 30) to promote cyclist and pedestrian safety awareness.
• Crime Stoppers HamiltoncoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAnonymous tip reporting partnership allowing citizens to provide crime information without identification through 1-800-222-8477 or online submission.
• Statistics CanadacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdopted national hate crime classification framework developed by Statistics Canada for improved accuracy and consistency in hate crime data recording, allowing multiple hate motivations and recognition of incidents targeting multiple protected groups.
• Sexual Assault Centre Hamilton & Area (SACHA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with feminist non-profit organization providing services to sexual violence survivors through education, advocacy, coalition-building, and community activism.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Halton Regional Police: Regional police service for Oakville, Burlington, Milton, and Halton Hills. Closely comparable mid-sized Ontario municipal force with similar service mix, accountability structure, and rural-urban patrol composition adjacent to Hamilton.
• Ottawa Police Service: Municipal police service for Canada's capital, serving ~1M residents under Ontario's Police Services Act. Comparable urban mandate, community-liaison programs, and specialized investigative units; reference peer for bilingual accessibility and multicultural community engagement.
• Peel Regional Police: Municipal police service covering Mississauga and Brampton under Ontario's Police Services Act, with comparable size, sworn-officer scale, and urban-suburban service mix. Operates similar community-policing, victim services, and specialized units.
• Toronto Police Service: Ontario's largest municipal police service, serving ~2.8M residents. Chief Bergen spent 36 years at TPS before joining HPS; the two forces share the same provincial regulatory framework and have overlapping service structures, making TPS the closest functional peer.
• Durham Regional Police: Regional police service east of Toronto covering Durham Region. Comparable in scale, governance, and community-policing orientation; both forces operate under the same Ontario Police Services Act oversight framework.
• Waterloo Regional Police: Regional police service for Kitchener, Waterloo, Cambridge, and surrounding townships. Similar mid-sized Ontario municipal force with academic-community partnerships (e.g., University of Waterloo), specialized mental-health response, and digital reporting tools paralleling HPS.
• York Regional Police: Regional municipal police service north of Toronto serving ~1.2M residents. Comparable in governance structure (police services board), service portfolio (K-9, marine, traffic), and adoption of body-worn cameras and digital crime-reporting platforms.

Broad incumbents

• Ontario Provincial Police (OPP): Provincial police force responsible for areas outside municipal jurisdictions and provincial highways. Operates the Provincial Anti-Terrorism Section (PATS) which HPS joined in 2024; broader geographic mandate and additional counter-terrorism/intelligence capabilities compared to HPS.

Regional players

• Vancouver Police Department: Municipal police department in British Columbia serving ~700K residents. Operates under a different provincial framework (BC Police Act) but with comparable urban mandate, community-liaison programs, and specialized units; useful peer for cross-provincial benchmarking rather than direct competition.
• Calgary Police Service: Municipal police service in Alberta serving ~1.3M residents. Comparable in scale and community-policing orientation but governed by Alberta's Police Act rather than Ontario's. Useful peer for comparative digital-reporting and community-engagement practices.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/HamiltonPolice
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/policehamilton
• Facebookfacebook.com/HamiltonPolice
• Instagraminstagram.com/hamiltonpoliceontario
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hamilton-police-service-canada-

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Hamilton Police Service