The Hamilton Police Service has announced a new deputy police chief.
Ryan Diodati will move up from the role of superintendent — where he was recently involved in a task force examining an increase in gun violence.
Diodati, a 23-year member of the service, fills a vacancy created last April when Dan Kinsella moved east to become police chief in Halifax.
“We looked across the country for the right candidate for our deputy chief and we are pleased to say we found the best candidate within our own service. Ryan’s exemplary skills and reputation as an excellent police leader will serve the City of Hamilton exceptionally well for the future,” said mayor and police services board chair Fred Eisenberger.
Diodati’s two decades on the force includes work with the emergency response unit, public order unit and the domestic violence resource unit.
He’s been the lead on several multi-jurisdictional major case management investigations, partnering with domestic and international law enforcement agencies, according to police.
Diodati has a degree from Niagara University and spent time at the University of Toronto as well as the FBI National Academy in Virginia.
When asked about dealing with crime in the city, Diodati said gun violence was at the top of the list.
“We will continue to monitor the violence in the city, not only gun violence but any other types of violence,” said Diodati. “Again, if there is a need to get the task force up and running again, we can do that quite quickly.”
The new deputy chief — who begins on Nov. 3 — went on to say that better engaging police with diverse communities is also paramount.
“We have to listen to people who have lived experiences, and not only have to listen but we also have to learn from that and we can use that to enact policy and legislation to help us do our jobs better.”
Diodati’s brother is Niagara Falls Mayor Jim Diodati, who’s now in his third term.