*The City will begin an open contracting process in January 2023.
This Friday, December 16, Redwood City Administrator Melissa Stevenson Diaz announced the upcoming retirement of Police Chief Dan Mulholland in May 2023, after nearly 40 years of service in the police force. The city will begin a contracting process to replace it in January 2023.
"This coming April marks five years as Chief Mulholland's Police Chief, and more than 38 impressive years of service to the City of Redwood City," Diaz said.
"Chief Mulholland has led the Redwood City Police Department with integrity and skill during a time of unprecedented challenges. You have listened deeply to our community and under your leadership we have continued to innovate our service delivery. I am grateful for their unwavering commitment and dedication to supporting community and employee safety, and continually improving our services to the community."
Chief Dan Mulholland began his career with the Redwood City Police Department as a Community Service Officer in 1985 and was hired as a Police Officer in 1987. He rose continuously through the ranks, eventually being appointed Chief of Police in 2018. Under leadership programs , earned her POST Executive Certification in 2021, a prestigious achievement based on years of service, education, training, and rank advancement.
As chief, Mulholland prioritized several staff wellness initiatives, including reviving the once-dormant peer support team, reintroducing police chaplains to the organization as COVID restrictions eased, and launching a security app. On-demand confidential wellness for staff use.
In turn, he was instrumental in obtaining emotional health and wellness services for police personnel and their families. He placed greater emphasis on organizational diversity, something he attributes to better serving Redwood City's rich and diverse community.
Mulholland recently played an integral role in launching the Community Wellness and Crisis Response Team, a pilot program based on a joint response model in which mental health clinicians respond to calls for service involving behavioral health crises. ; and the Team with Purpose, Action, Creation and Commitment ?PACE?: a community-based pilot program aimed at fostering positive relationships among community leaders.
In addition to this, he was instrumental in law enforcement and the youth of the Bike Life movement; and the City's first Police Advisory Committee: a committee of community representatives formed to support partnership and transparency between the community and the Police Department.
Dan Mulholland is the current President of the San Mateo County Police Chiefs and Sheriffs Association and has served on the San Mateo County Narcotics Task Force Governing Board and the County Juvenile Justice Coordinating Council of San Mateo.
“The men and women of the Redwood City Police Department are like family to me. It is thanks to them that I had the honor of my life: to serve as boss. Working alongside them every day for all these years has been a privilege," Mulholland said.
“Our public safety delivery is best accomplished by working in partnership with the community we serve. That partnership is strengthened through trust, familiarity, and connectedness. The personal connections I have made with this community, always striving to hear firsthand from residents on how to best serve Redwood City, have been tremendously valuable."
In light of Mulholland's retirement announcement, the city will begin an open hiring process in January 2023, with the intent of appointing a new Police Chief prior to the Police Chief's retirement in May.
Finally, the Redwood City Police Department invited members of the community to provide input on the features needed in the next police chief by sending a message to policechiefrecruitment@redwoodcity.org.
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