Joseph Kreins
The Vallejo Police Department (VPD) is pleased to announce that former Vallejo Police Chief and public safety consultant Joseph Kreins will be returning to serve as Interim Deputy Chief of Police for the City of Vallejo. Kreins will be an addition to the newly hired permanent Deputy Chief Michael Kihmm.
Interim Deputy Chief Kreins began his career in law enforcement when he became a police cadet/intern with the Concord Police Department in 1974. In 1980, he was hired as a police officer with the City of Sausalito. He then returned to the Concord Police Department in 1985 and rose through the ranks, completing his tenure with Concord PD as a lieutenant/district commander. While in Concord, Kreins also served as the Department’s first-ever public information officer (a position he held for 4 years).
In 2001, Kreins was appointed Chief of Police for the Sausalito Police Department. Two years later, he was promoted to assistant city manager. Along with his position as police chief, his responsibilities included leadership and management of the city fire department, as well as information technology and city parking services.
Interim Deputy Chief Kreins initially served as Interim Chief of Police for the City of Vallejo in 2012 before becoming permanent and serving through October 2014. Thereafter, Kreins served as interim chief of police in multiple cities from 2014-2019 including Benicia, Winters, Novato, Clayton, and Suisun City.
Additionally, he has served as consultant to numerous law enforcement agencies throughout the State of California, completing management team building, strategic planning and organizational audits of several departments. In particular, Kreins served as a special advisor and public safety consultant to the CEO of the Sonoma Marin Area Rail Transit (SMART).
Interim Deputy Chief Kreins has also completed comprehensive organizational assessments of police departments in northern and northern California. He is currently a POST certified facilitator/presenter for California law enforcement agencies in team building and strategic planning workshops.
Interim Deputy Chief Kreins holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Human Relations Management from Golden Gate University (magna cum laude). He also holds all supervisory and management certificates from the California Police Officer Standards Training (POST), including a certificate in executive management. He has completed the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Law Enforcement Executive Development (LEEDS) program and the Senior Management Institute for Policing (SMIP) sponsored by the Police Executive Research Forum (PERF) in Boston, MA. Interim Deputy Chief Kreins has also attended many legal update seminars, and numerous management and leadership symposiums through the International Association of Chiefs of Police, Police Executive Research Forum, California Peace Officers Association, Federal Bureau of Investigation and California Police Chiefs Association.
Please join our department in welcoming Interim Deputy Chief Joseph Kreins back to the Vallejo Police Department. Interim Deputy Chief Kreins will be sworn in on December 7, 2020.
For media inquiries, please contact Public Information Officer, Brittany K. Jackson by email at VallejoPolicePIO@