Hamilton police board names Ryan Diodati next chief

Hamilton police Deputy Chief Ryan Diodati has been appointed the city’s next police chief, the Hamilton Police Services Board announced Thursday.

Diodati, a 30-year member of the service, will take over on May 7, a day after Chief Frank Bergen retires, CBC Hamilton reported. CHCH also reported the appointment.

“We are building on Chief Bergen’s work and choosing leadership that understands Hamilton, knows our members and recognizes where we need to be,” board chair Don Robertson said in a statement. “This appointment provides continuity for our members and the people we serve.”

Diodati has been deputy chief of operations since 2019. He previously led the Investigative Services Division as a superintendent. He is a graduate of the FBI National Academy and of executive police leadership programs at the University of Toronto and McMaster University, CBC reported.

Bergen spent 36 years with the Toronto Police Service before becoming Hamilton’s deputy chief in 2018 and chief in 2021.

The board also announced that Marty Schulenberg, a 32-year member of the service and a superintendent in the Investigative Services Division, will replace Diodati as deputy chief on May 7. Robin Abbott was appointed deputy chief of support earlier this year.

Diodati told CBC Hamilton he is preparing by listening to members and the community about “what we’re doing well and in areas that we need to improve.” He said he hopes to address gun violence and the opioid crisis, and that “we can’t do this job alone.”

Ward 2 Coun. Cameron Kroetsch, who sits on the police board, criticized how the appointment was made. He told CBC Hamilton there was no public process or consultation, and that the decision was made before the Oct. 26 municipal election and announced afterward. The board is legally allowed to choose a chief without an open call, Kroetsch said. CBC said it had not immediately heard back from the board on his comments.

Hamilton’s new council was elected Monday, as we reported in our Hamilton voting guide. Police services are also a recurring issue in our coverage of Ontario oversight, including the Special Investigations Unit’s review of a fatal shooting in Welland.

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