(Hamilton, Canada) – Ryan Diodati will become Hamilton’s next police chief on May 7, 2027, succeeding Frank Bergen after his retirement the previous day.

The Hamilton Police Service Board announced the appointment Thursday, October 29. Superintendent Marty Schulenberg will become deputy chief on the same date.

Diodati is in his 30th year with the service. His recent deputy-chief responsibilities have included operations and support; earlier, he led the investigative services division.

Board chair Don Robertson described the choice as providing continuity. The board says announcing the appointments ahead of Bergen’s departure gives the command team time to prepare. The transfer of office and swearing-in are planned for May.

Schulenberg is in his 32nd year with Hamilton police and currently heads investigative services. His background also includes emergency response, traffic safety and critical-incident command.

Decision comes before the new council takes office

The Public Record reports that the outgoing board made both promotions without an open competitive recruitment process. Its reporting also notes that mayor-elect Keanin Loomis had previously argued that the incoming leadership should oversee the chief’s selection.

The appointments have been announced now; Diodati does not take over as chief until May 2027.

Sources: Police board’s October 29 announcement, reproduced by The Public Record; CHCH; Joey Coleman, The Public Record.

File photo: Ryan Diodati in May 2025. Joey Coleman / The Public Record, CC BY-SA 4.0. Original photograph and caption; licence. Photograph unchanged; responsive display crop only. Adapted reporting and this photograph are available under CC BY-SA 4.0.