Former Hamilton police chief Brian Mullan has died

Former Hamilton police chief and long-time member of the service Brian Mullan has passed away at age 67.

Hamilton police posted a Tweet late Monday saying Mullan passed while surrounded by loved ones. They did not reveal the cause of death and said no further details would be released at this time.

Sadly, we share the news that former #HamOnt Chief of Police, Brian Mullan has passed while surrounded by loved ones.

Mullan was Chief from 2003 to 2009.

Heartfelt condolences to the Mullan family during this difficult time.#hewillbemissed.
No further details at this time.

— Hamilton Police (@HamiltonPolice) July 20, 2021

Mullan joined the Hamilton Police Service in 1974 where he served for 35 years.

In 1995, he received the Ontario Police Exemplary Service Medal and in 2007, he was appointed to the Order of Merit for Police Services.

Mullan was promoted to Chief of Police in 2003 and served in that role until his retirement in 2009.

During his time as chief, Mullan focused on crime in the downtown core and eliminating the use of crack cocaine in the city. He also made efforts to increase the number of new hires from racialized groups. While he celebrated many successes during his tenure, Mullan also faced a number of controversies under his reign including the Michael Dixon saga of a black Hamilton man falsely arrested for a crime, and a sexual harassment case brought forward by 11 female officers and one civilian employee against a high profile police officer. The case was thrown out by a police tribunal after the chief did not file the charges in time.

Following his retirement, Mullan became a Member of the Parole Board of Canada and went on to serve as a citizen representative on the Ontario Attorney General’s Judicial Appointment Advisory Committee.