Hamilton police see ‘concerning’ trend of bear spray-related violence involving youths

Greater Sudbury Police are searching for a suspect Tuesday after a teen was attacked with bear spray at the New Sudbury Centre. (File)

Hamilton police say there has been a rise in bear spray-related violence in the city and that youths account for more than half the offenders who use the weapon, a “concerning” trend the force is hoping to combat with a new initiative.

Police say that over the past several months, officers have responded to a number of incidents involving youths engaged in assaults, group conflicts, and weapons-related offences.

“Of particular concern is the growing trend of youth carrying and deploying bear spray in disputes,” police said in a release. “Since March 3, police have responded to five incidents, with three youths facing charges.”

Bear spray-related incidents in Hamilton have increased each year between 2021 and 2025, police said, representing a 115 per cent rise.

They add that youth aged 10 to 19 accounted for approximately 63 per cent of offenders. Meanwhile, 37 per cent of offenders are adults between the ages of 20 and 69.

About 42 per cent of victims are youth aged 10 to 19.

“Bear spray is designed as a wildlife deterrent and contains a highly concentrated irritant,” police explained.

“When discharged in public spaces such as schools, malls, transit, or residential areas, it can cause significant respiratory distress, temporary blindness, panic, and serious safety risks to bystanders. When used against another person, bear spray is considered a weapon under the Criminal Code and may result in criminal charges.”

Police said that incidents officers respond to are most often committed by strangers.

They also said that bear spray use in robberies in the city has doubled from 2024 to 2025, representing a 483 per cent increase from the five-year low in 2022.

In response to the recent increase in youth violence, Hamilton police have launched “Project Breathe Easy,” aimed at reducing bear spray-related violence.

The community initiative will include “increased enforcement and high-visibility patrols in identified hotspot areas, proactive engagement with youth, compliance checks at retailers selling bear spray to ensure adherence to applicable legislation and responsible sales practices and ongoing monitoring and intelligence-led response to emerging concerns.”

“We don’t see a lot of bears walking around Hamilton. The reality is, we don’t have a bear problem — we have a youth safety problem that needs to be addressed,” Chief Frank Bergen said in the release.