Mountain View’s current deputy police chief to become police chief following retirement of Police Chief Max Bosel in late December

City of Mountain View logoMountain View City Manager Kimbra McCarthy announced today the appointment of Deputy Police Chief Chris Hsiung as chief of police of the Mountain View Police Department. With over 30 years of law enforcement experience, Hsiung will serve as Mountain View’s 11th police chief due to the retirement of Chief Max Bosel in December. Hsiung will begin his new position on Dec. 27, 2020.

“I am pleased to announce the appointment of Chris Hsiung as our next Chief of Police at this critically important time in history. Chris has a deep connection to the Mountain View community, a stellar track record of policing leadership, and the respect of his peers and colleagues both in Mountain View and throughout the region,” said McCarthy. “Chris is a nationally recognized leader in efforts to improve transparency and communication between the department and the community, and we are fortunate to have the best law enforcement professional within our ranks for this key leadership position.”

McCarthy added, ”His collaborative style and ability to forge strong relationships will reinforce the City’s and the Police Department’s commitment to the important work on race and equity as we continue to build a welcoming, safe and inclusive community together.”

“For 25 years, I have worked alongside incredibly talented and dedicated women and men; professionals who have, day in and day out, served with such heart and with a Mountain View-first mentality,” said Hsiung. “It is my honor and privilege to be able to lead them going forward. I look forward to collaborating with them and with our incredible community.”

“I am humbled by this appointment, and I am grateful for the opportunity to serve the Mountain View community and the police department as Chief of Police,” acknowledged Hsiung. “Particularly in the last few months, I have been deeply listening and engaging in dialogue with members of our community. I look forward to continuing our partnership with the community on the future of policing, such as through programs like MVPDx, and to look for ways we can continue to communicate, listen, and build meaningful relationships that forge a path forward for the benefit of all in Mountain View.”

Hsiung is an award-winning advocate for transparency and community connection with extensive public safety experience from over 30 years in law enforcement. In his current role as deputy police chief, he manages day-to-day department operations and leads efforts in leadership development, community engagement, and maintaining MVPD’s role as a progressive law enforcement organization in the 21st century. Earlier this year, he led the City of Mountain View’s cross-departmental crisis communications team to keep the community informed during the initial months of the COVID-19 crisis.

A native of the San Mateo County Peninsula who followed his public safety calling in high school, Hsiung first volunteered as a police explorer for the Foster City Police Department in 1990 and later worked for that department as a Community Service Officer and per diem dispatcher. In 1995, Hsiung was hired by the Mountain View Police Department as a police officer and served in a wide variety of assignments including patrol, property crimes detective, person crimes detective (where he received the 2001 Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office Homicide Investigator of the Year Award), SWAT, and agent in the REACT Silicon Valley High Tech Crimes Task Force.

Hsiung is passionate about helping government agencies and communities connect and engage with each other. One of the first in the country to begin innovative efforts with digital engagement on social media between the department and our community, Hsiung’s influence has led him to speak internationally on the topic of community engagement, government’s use of social media, crisis communications and digital strategy. In April 2017, Government Technology Magazine honored him as a “Top 25 Doer, Dreamer, and Driver” and Government Social Media awarded him the” 2017 GSMCON Top Social Media Advocate in Government.” In the latter half of 2017, he was included in Engaging Local Government Leader’s (ELGL) 2017 Top 10 List of Government Influencers. Hsiung continues to teach at the Peninsula Law Enforcement Explorer Academy as well as being a guest speaker for Stanford University Law School’s Prosecution Clinic for the past 17 years.

Hsiung holds a bachelor’s degree in Sociology and Behavioral Science from San Jose State University and a master’s degree in eBusiness Management from Notre Dame de Namur in Belmont, Calif. He is a graduate of the Harvard Kennedy School of Government Senior Executives in State and Local Government program, Leadership Mountain View (Class of 2007), and the California Peace Officer Standards and Training (P.O.S.T.) Executive Management course. Hsiung serves as a committee member on the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) Professional Standards, Ethics, and Image committee and served for six years on the City of San Mateo’s Community Relations Commission.

Hsiung is fluent in conversational Mandarin Chinese. He and his wife live in San Mateo and are the proud parents of four children. You can find him on Twitter at @chMtnViewPD.

Chief Bosel to retire in December 2020 after nearly 40 years in public service

Mountain View Police Chief Max Bosel has announced his retirement after a 25-year career with the Mountain View Police Department. During his six-year tenure as Chief, the police department adopted its first Policing Plan that improved transparency and modeled President Barack Obama’s 21st-century policing pillars, implemented officer-worn cameras, and became an early adopter of drug and alcohol diversion alternatives. His final day on the job is Dec. 26, 2020.

“This is a bittersweet decision but I am immensely grateful for a rewarding career and excited for the opportunity to pursue new adventures,” stated Chief Bosel. “It has been an honor and privilege to have served alongside so many exceptionally talented and dedicated professionals and community members, in particular, my colleagues here in the City of Mountain View and in the policing profession.”

“Chief Bosel is a dedicated public servant who is deeply committed to the community, the police department, and the entire City organization. He has been a tremendous asset to the community and a critical member of our senior leadership team, especially as we responded to the coronavirus pandemic and social justice reforms together,” said Kimbra McCarthy, City Manager. “His legacy will live on within the Mountain View Police Department as he fostered a caring, compassionate culture that’s rooted in community-based policing. Chief Bosel will be sincerely missed.”