The RCMP has assigned only seven officers — most of them part-time — to investigate hate crimes across seven provinces, according to records tabled at a Senate committee, even as Jews remain the leading target of police-reported hate crimes in Canada.Blacklock's Reporter says in a submission to the Senate human rights committee, the force acknowledged it does not track basic outcomes tied to hate crime enforcement. “The RCMP does not have readily available statistics related to charges, prosecutions or convictions,” it wrote, adding members are required to complete online training courses including one titled Cultural Awareness.When asked, “What are the risks of online hate escalating to actual physical violence?”, the RCMP replied: “The RCMP is currently unable to track or quantify the escalation from online hate to physical violence.”The disclosure came amid complaints from senators and community leaders about what they described as inadequate protection for Jewish Canadians.According to the RCMP’s submission, its largest hate crime unit operates in British Columbia, where 18 officers are assigned to the file. In Alberta, there is one full-time investigator. A single part-time investigator is assigned in each of Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island..The report, titled Antisemitism In Canada, conceded staffing levels may be insufficient. “The RCMP is working with partners to assess whether additional hate crime units may be necessary,” it stated. The analysis, based in part on data from Statistics Canada, is expected to conclude in 2026.Senators raised concerns during a November 24 hearing, questioning why long-standing Criminal Code provisions appear ineffective in curbing antisemitism.“We have had hate laws in the Criminal Code for a very long time,” said Sen. Leo Housakos, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate. “We are in a very diverse society. Why all of a sudden are those hate laws no longer effective to combat the degree of anti-Semitism we are seeing?”Iddo Moed, Israel’s ambassador to Canada, testified that many Jewish Canadians feel abandoned amid rising street-level hostility. .“The sentiment universally expressed to me by Canadian Jews is one of abandonment, harrowing testimony of intimidation, of harassment, of unadulterated hate,” he told the committee.Police-reported data show Jews — who number approximately 335,000 people, less than 0.9% of Canada’s population — were the victims of 920 hate crimes in 2024, more than any other identifiable group. By comparison, police recorded 873 incidents targeting black Canadians, 658 targeting LGBTQ people, 321 against South Asians, 310 against Arabs, 229 against Muslims, 61 against Catholics and 59 against indigenous Canadians.“In 2024 a Jewish Canadian was 25 times more likely to experience a hate crime than any other Canadian,” said Noah Shack, CEO of the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs, following the release of the data.
