A Hamilton police officer, back at work after he was investigated for sharing racist and extremist content online, is again displaying a sticker “associated with white nationalist extremism” on his vehicle, a community group says.

The Hamilton Anti-Racism Resource Centre (HARRC) says that in February, a concerned community member photographed Const. Renato Greco’s personal Jeep sporting a decal featuring a Knights Templar crest, a symbol “appropriated by some white nationalist and neo-Nazi groups.”

The sticker features a phrase which was also the title of a 1960 pamphlet by George Lincoln Rockwell, who founded the American Nazi Party, HARRC said in a post Monday. 

“While such symbols may have historical or religious origins, their contemporary use in extremist contexts has transformed their meaning and impact, particularly for communities that have historically been targeted by hate,” HARRC said. 

CBC previously confirmed through a licence plate search the vehicle is registered to Greco. Last year, before the police investigation, the vehicle was seen parked outside the station with a sticker of the group Diagolon on its left bumper.

The latest picture shows the new sticker in place of the Diagolon decal. The vehicle is seen in a winter setting, also in front of the police station.

On the new decal is the name of an online store that sells stickers and patches. CBC found the image on the site, identified as a Knights Templar sticker.

Group calls for recall of service medal given to Greco

HARRC is now calling on the Hamilton Police Services Board to conduct an independent, external review into how police handle hate and extremism concerns from within the force as a result of the discovery. A motion in January asking for this review was defeated.

HARRC is also calling on the Governor General of Canada to consider rescinding an exemplary service medal Greco received in 2023, marking 20 years of police service. Both requests were made via open letters posted online Monday.

Hamilton Police Service (HPS) spokesperson Jackie Penman confirmed Tuesday that police received a complaint from HARRC regarding concerns about the latest sticker, which they forwarded to provincial oversight body, the Law Enforcement Complaints Agency (LECA).

“Once a complaint is sent to LECA, we are mandated to wait for their decision,” Penman said. She did not confirm whether Greco remains on active duty saying only, “The member is employed by Hamilton Police Service in a non-public-facing role.”

A LECA spokesperson told CBC Hamilton it received “notification from HPS regarding potential misconduct.” LECA’s director has 30 days to decide if it is in the public interest for the agency to investigate the allegations, the spokesperson said.

CBC Hamilton did not receive a response from the Governor General’s office prior to publication.

Constable suspended in 2025

In December 2024, HARRC informed police a vehicle later confirmed to be Greco’s was parking outside the downtown police station while displaying the Diagolon flag. The RCMP has labelled Diagolon an “extremist, militia-like organization.” Its offshoot, Second Sons, is a white nationalist “active club” whose leaders openly use racist slurs and welcome neo-Nazis into their ranks. Police said later the service conducted its own internal investigation into the matter.

In the summer of 2025, CBC received a separate tip from a community about Greco’s public social media posts and asked police about them, leading police to suspend Greco and initiate an investigation into his online conduct.

Those posts included content under his name that was re-shared from far-right groups, and included anti-immigrant messages and posts in support of a coup against the government.

Police said at the time, they were unaware of Greco’s online conduct until CBC Hamilton asked about it.

Last week, police confirmed Greco remained employed by the service. Police have not shared the results of the investigation into his online conduct or the Diagolon sticker.

“We cannot speak publicly about an employment or discipline matter involving one of our members,” Penman said.

New symbol references the Crusades, experts say

The latest sticker on the Jeep depicts a crest with a sword and the phrase “In hoc signo vinces.” The phrase means “In this sign, you will conquer,” and is traditionally associated with Roman emperor Constantine the Great, HARRC said in a post on social media.

“The phrase itself is not inherently extremist,” HARRC said, but has been appropriated by white supremacist movements to signal belief to insiders. So too, HARRC said, has the Templar Cross, which — like other medieval symbols — is used “to symbolize a perceived, violent struggle against non-white people and Islam.”

In an email to CBC Hamilton, Barbara Perry, who directs the Centre on Hate, Bias and Extremism at Ontario Tech University, said the crest connects to the crusades and might be something “Christian nationalists use,” but not the broader white supremacists and nationalists.

Given the officer’s history of re-posting extremist groups, the symbol is “not benign” and has a “direct connection” to the far-right, said Kawser Ahmed, a professor with the University of Manitoba. Ahmed leads the Winnipeg-based Conflict and Resilience Research Institute, which has developed an app to help the public identify extremist symbols. 

“I do see a problem here,” Ahmed said, calling a police officer’s use of the symbol, “concerning.” 

Often, he said, symbols evoke history — in this case, a conflict between Christians and Muslims that Ahmed said is used to signal opposition to immigrants.

Ahmed said Templar symbols have been used by far-right groups including the English Defence League and an extremist Norwegian mass shooter.  

Other calls for Hamilton police to act

Other community members have also raised concerns about the police response and Greco’s continued employment in a position of authority.

“We are disturbed and angered to learn that after concluding this investigation the [Hamilton Police Service] has decided to keep Constable Renato Greco employed in a non-public facing position,” the Hamilton Centre for Civic Inclusion (HCCI) said in a Feb. 26 statement.

“This outcome does not demonstrate a commitment to responding to hate and racism within the police force or make the community safer.”

HCCI said the police response increases distrust, adding that even if he isn’t interacting with the public, Greco’s position might still be one in which he could “influence police processes and investigations,” and access police records.

“That is still a position being paid for by Hamiltonians for someone who has demonstrated that they oppose the rights and humanity of marginalized residents,” HCCI said. 

The statement, signed by the group’s board of directors and executive director, noted the service’s confirmation about Greco came days after a white supremacist rally outside Hamilton city hall.

What does it mean that the HPS continues to employ a member who supports these views?– Hamilton Centre for Civic Inclusion

“Knowing how these beliefs are growing, spreading, and becoming more bold in this city, what does it mean that the HPS continues to employ a member who supports these views? How can the HPS say on one hand that [the] community should call and report hate incidents and crimes when we know at least one person on that same force has not been terminated for holding these same views?” HCCI asked.

The organization is demanding police fire Greco, the Hamilton Police Services Board condemn the police’s response and that the board reconsider the failed motion for an independent review of the service with respect to hate symbols and hate groups.

Board chair Don Robertson did not respond to CBC Hamilton’s request for comment before publication.

“When concerns are raised, we respond without delay and take appropriate action. We recognize that matters like this can impact public trust, and safeguarding that trust remains a top priority for our Service,” Penman said.

She said the service will be working with Perry’s Centre on Hate, Bias and Extremism at Ontario Tech University in April to provide “education and training for our commanders.”

Perry said she agreed to provide the police with training around hate symbols “to enhance their capacity to respond to relevant incidents.”