The Peterborough Police Service has launched a new online visual tool aimed at increasing public awareness and understanding of police-reported hate and bias incidents in the community.
The interactive “story map” explores reported hate and bias data from 2021 to 2025 and is part of a broader Anti-Hate Initiative funded through the 2023–2026 Proceeds of Crime Grant from the Government of Ontario.
The initiative has included officer and civilian training, a dedicated webpage on the police service site, and community consultation through workshops and the 2025 Community Perception Survey. It concluded with a city-wide public education campaign earlier this year.
The new tool breaks down police-reported data into several sections, including how hate crimes and incidents are defined, how reports are processed, geographic trends over time, and how often charges are laid. It also includes information on what happens when an incident is reported and how residents can report hate-motivated incidents.
Police say the goal is to make the data more accessible and easier to understand through a single scrolling interface rather than multiple web pages.
Chief of Police Stuart Betts said the initiative is intended to improve public understanding and encourage reporting.
“I believe sharing this police-reported data with the public is important to understanding what is happening in our community,” Betts said. “As a police service we know that incidents involving hate/bias are often underreported. I hope that if the public is aware of how the justice system can address hate crime/hate bias and that reporting such incidents is important, more people will feel comfortable coming forward.”
Police emphasize the data reflects only incidents reported to the service during the 2021–2025 period and acknowledge that underreporting remains a challenge.
The initiative was developed in partnership with community organizations including the New Canadians Centre, the Community Race Relations Committee of Peterborough, Peterborough Youth Services and the City of Peterborough’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Office.
Police say the tool is available through the “Hate Has No Place Here” public education and awareness campaign webpage.
