Redwood City announces new police chief

in Community/Featured/Headline

Thirty-three year Redwood City police Capt. Daniel Mulholland has been named police chief of the department effective Feb. 20, City Manager Melissa Stevenson Diaz announced today.

Mulholland emerged as the top pick for the top cop job following an “open and competitive” recruitment process, said Diaz, adding that she is confident he will continue building the community trust’s with RCPD, an accomplishment city officials credited to his predecessor JR Gamez, who retired as chief in December.

Deputy Chief Gary Kirby has been serving as interim chief and will return to his original role, Diaz said.

“Dan’s commitment to the department, extensive police experience in a range of leadership and executive roles, including his current role as captain leading the Administrative Services Division, and his collaborative approach are just a few of the many attributes that impressed me about Dan,” Diaz said in a statement.

Mulholland began his public safety career with the Redwood City Police Department as a civilian community service officer and later a police officer in 1987. He rose through the ranks within RCPD, holding leadership positions including, patrol sergeant, traffic sergeant, administrative sergeant, investigative sergeant, SWAT team leader, SWAT commander, team leader of the Countywide terrorist counter assault team, detective sergeant, and captain of the Patrol Division.

As captain of the Administrative Services Division, Mulholland oversees management of personnel assigned to Administration, Communications, Training and Records. He also served as acting chief in the absence of the police chief, acted as fiscal manager of the department’s operating budget and managed the department’s recruitment and hiring process.

“I am grateful for the opportunity to serve the Redwood City community and its police department as Chief of Police,” Mulholland said. “I have a lifelong connection with the community and consider Redwood City to be my home, and the men and women of the police department to be my second family.”

Diaz added, “I look forward to Dan leading the department to continue to innovate and evolve in our delivery of public safety services.”

Mulholland has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology from the University of California, Berkeley and Associates of the Arts degree in Liberal Studies from the College of San Mateo. He is also a graduate of a number of management and leadership training programs including Inner Perspectives Leadership Course, the P.O.S.T supervisory and management course, the U.S.A.F Air War College National Security Forum and the Los Angeles Police Department (Westpoint) Leadership program.

He lives in Contra Costa County with his wife and they have two adult children. He enjoys outdoor hobbies including off road motorcycling, camping and backpacking.

For more information go here.

Photo Courtesy of Redwood City Police Department.