Hamilton Police Service cameras at King Street and James Street have been non-operational for at least four years, police confirmed Monday.
“The cameras you inquired about have not been operational [since 2021],” wrote Jackie Penman, HPS Manager of Corporate Communications and Public Affairs.
The statement came in response to a question from myself after I noted police statements indicated the possibility the two police cameras at the intersection might not have provided a live feed into the police operations centre during the response to a July 11 shooting.
In response to follow-up questions, Penman wrote the cameras were installed from 2004 to 2010 and “required substantial upgrades to remain operational. By 2021 there were only two cameras still operating.”
“With the City announcing its Digital Transformation & Smart City initiative in 2019, the outdated cameras were no longer required. This change was reported to both the Police Service Board and the City.”
Penman writes the “widespread use of video surveillance by local businesses, the proliferation of smartphones, and the increasing presence of dashcams” have increased the volume and quality of video avaiable to Hamilton Police.
“Additionally, Hamilton Police could no longer allocate the human resources necessary to monitor the live video feed.”
Most of the approximately 60 ‘video surveillance’ signs spread throughout the downtown announcing the presence of the 17 cameras remain posted.
“Hamilton Police no longer have any security cameras downtown or located elsewhere in Hamilton.”
Friday’s Shooting Occurred Metres from Two Non-Functional Police Cameras
At 5:25 p.m. on Friday, a gunman began firing at Hamilton’s busiest intersection, striking and killing an “innocent bystander” victim, 26-year-old Belinda Sarkodie, who was standing at a bus stop after spending the afternoon downtown with friends.
Another person, one of three people that police say the shooter was targeting, was wounded.
The shooting happened in view of two of the non-functional Hamilton Police cameras, with the wounded victim being found directly below one of the cameras.
Detective Sergeant John Obrovac used the word “chaotic” to describe the scene at King and James immediately following the shooting.
Police began receiving 9-1-1 calls around 5:25 p.m., with the first responding units arriving without any information regarding the shooter.
Jackson Square, the shopping centre the shooting occurred outside of, was locked down and police began sweeping the building.
The mall’s recently installed outdoor security camera, which appears to be a GeoVision 4k camera, captured the shooting. Police were able to view this footage and determine the shooter had fled north on James Street.
No Public Report to Council or the Police Board
Ward 2 Councillor Cameron Kroetsch said he “wasn’t aware these cameras were not operational.”
“I had no idea this was the case.”
He says he will be asking for “a report back from City staff at the next meeting of the Downtown Sub-Committee on July 24.”
“If necessary, I will also bring a motion to the Hamilton Police Service Board meeting on the same day, to gather more information from police.”
Kroetsch says more information is needed to determine the best courses of action to improve downtown safety.
“It’s my understanding security cameras are not completely effective at deterring crime, apprehending suspects, or building a case in order to get a conviction.”
“Safety in the downtown core is a broad topic,” Kroetsch said.
The City created a Community Safety and Well-Being Plan a few years back, mandated by the Province. Kroetsch says it has never been adequately funded.
“Our Community Safety and Well-Being Plan has never been adequately funded by the Province who mandated it,” he said. “Many of the actions outlined in the plan remain incomplete due to this serious lack of funding.”
Kroetsch is calling on the Province to fill the funding gap, but says the City shouldn’t wait to evaluate existing safety programs.
“I think there is a need to evaluate all of the programs designed to help with safety in our city (outside of policing), assess the gaps, and come up with some recommendations,” he said.
He recently put forward a motion to assess current programs and expects to hear soon from the Greater Hamilton Health Network about implementing a community crisis service similar to Toronto’s model.
Cameras Installed in 2003, Replaced and Upgraded, Then Abandoned
According to reports in The Hamilton Spectator at the time in early 2003, the Police Board approved installing the cameras, with City Council approval following in May 2003.
On June 4, 2004, TheSpec reported “at 8 a.m. yesterday” the first cameras “went live at five intersections.”
Improving emergency response was one of the benefits cited when the cameras were first installed.
Having a real-time video feed of Hamilton’s busiest pedestrian areas would enable police to better coordinate emergency response and resource deployment.
The cameras were funded by the Police Board budget, with the City of Hamilton providing installation and maintenance support.
Over the years, the system expanded to 17 cameras placed throughout the downtown area. All cameras were designed to feed live video into Police Headquarters.
City Traffic Control Cameras Designed Only for Traffic Operations
The City of Hamilton operates a network of traffic control cameras at nearly every signalized intersection in Hamilton. The first 80 cameras were installed for the 2015 Pan Am Games when the City upgraded its centralized traffic operations centre.
The purpose of these cameras is to enable the City’s traffic operation centre to make real-time adjustments to traffic signals in response to collisions, construction, and other disruptions to routine traffic flow.
The City does not video record from the cameras, a commitment that enables the City to install the cameras as needed without conducting a privacy review and also without posting notice signs at every intersection.
Story to be Updated
The Hamilton Police Service and the Office of Mayor Andrea Horwath are in the process of responding to questions emailed to them.
This story will be updated when responses are received.
Production Details
v. 1.0.0
Published: July 14, 2025
Last updated: July 14, 2025
Author: Joey Coleman
Update Record
v. 1.0.0 original version (11:15 a.m. on July 15)
v. 1.1.0 added police comment. (12:30 p.m. on July 15)