Leadership – Hamilton Police Museum

CHIEF LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS IN HAMILTON
1833 – Present

1833	John J. Ryckman	High Bailiff
1834	Thomas Gillesby	High Constable
1835	Charles Duffie	High Bailiff
1835	Samuel L. Ryckman	High Bailiff
1836-1837	William Hale	High Bailiff
1837-1838	Timothy Steele	High Bailiff
1839 – 1842	George Chivers	High Bailiff
1845 – 1850	Samuel L. Ryckman	High Bailiff, Chief Constable
1850 – 1852	James McCracken	Chief Constable
1852	Thomas Bresnahan	Chief Constable
1852 – 1853	John Moore	Chief Constable
1853 – 1865	John Carruthers	Chief Constable
1865 – 1868	W. H. Nicholl	Chief Constable
1868 – 1870	Ralph Davis	Chief Constable
1871 – 1875	Captain John Henery	Chief Constable
1875 – 1876	Matthew Logan	Chief Constable
1876 – 1879	Alexander McMenemy	Chief Constable
1879 – 1886	Alexander David Stewart	Chief Constable
1886 – 1895	Hugh McKinnon	Chief Constable
1895 – 1915	Alexander Smith	Chief Constable
1915 – 1924	William R. Whatley	Chief Constable
1924 – 1935	David Coulter	Chief Constable
1935 – 1938	Ernest K. Goodman	Chief Constable
1938 – 1944	Thomas Brown	Chief Constable
1944 – 1950	J.R. Crocker	Chief Constable
1950 – 1952	Joseph Chamberlain	Chief Constable
1952 – 1973	Leonard G. Lawrence	Chief of Police
1973 – 1985	Gordon V. Torrance	Chief of Police
1985 – 1988	Robert E. Hamilton	Chief of Police
1988 – 1991	Collin Millar	Chief of Police
1991 – 1998	Robert Middaugh	Chief of Police
1998 – 2003	Kenneth D. Robertson	Chief of Police
2003 – 2009	Brian J. Mullan	Chief of Police
2009/12/09 – 2016/01/16	Glenn De Caire	Chief of Police
2016/05/11 – 2021/02/28	Eric Girt	Chief of Police
2021	Frank Bergen	Chief of Police

“The first Board of Police elections were held on March 4th, 1833. Thomas Taylor was the first President of the Board with elected members; Colin. C. Ferrie, Ebenezer Stinson, Joseph Rolston and Peter Hamilton. Their first meeting took place at the Hamilton Court House on Monday, March 11th. The first order of business was to consider a location for a town market place. By-laws were set forth for the regulation of the town and a number of town officials were appointed.

John J. Ryckman was appointed High Bailiff and Inspector of Chimneys, and is considered our first law enforcement officer.

Toronto had its first High Constable in 1834, one year after Hamilton hired John Ryckman as High Bailiff in 1833. The police histories of the two cities were parallel for many years.

March 11, 2018

Happy 185th birthday to the Hamilton Police Service. On Monday March 11, 1833 at the first meeting of the Board of Police (a forerunner of today’s City Council), John Ryckman was appointed as High Bailiff, making him Hamilton’s first Law Enforcement Officer. For a time, the High Bailiff led a handful of volunteers who served to enforce the law in Hamilton. In 1846, the town of Hamilton received its Charter and the City was incorporated. At this time the Police Department became a professional paid organization. Samuel L. Ryckman, who was the High Bailiff at the time, became Chief Constable.