On December 16, 2022, City Manager Melissa Stevenson Diaz announced the upcoming retirement of Police Chief Dan Mulholland.
“Next April marks five years as Police Chief for Chief Mulholland, and an impressive 38+ years of service to the City of Redwood City,” said Diaz. “Chief Mulholland has led the Redwood City Police Department with integrity and skill during a time of unprecedented challenges. He has listened deeply to our community and under his leadership, we have continued to innovate in our service delivery. I am grateful for his unwavering commitment and dedication to supporting community and employee safety, and continually improving our services to the community.”
Chief 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 continuously rose through the ranks, ultimately being appointed Chief of Police in 2018. A graduate of numerous management and leadership programs, he earned his POST Executive Certification in 2021 – a prestigious achievement based upon 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 confidential, on-demand wellness app for use by staff. He was also instrumental in securing emotional health and wellness services for police personnel and their family members. He placed greater emphasis on organizational diversity, something he attributes to better serving the richly diverse Redwood City community. Most recently, Mulholland played an integral part in the launch of the Community Wellness and Crisis Response Team – a pilot program based on a co-response model in which mental health clinicians respond to calls for service involving behavioral health crises; the Purposeful, Action, Creation and Engagement (PACE) Team – a community-based pilot program aimed at fostering positive relationships between community leaders, law enforcement, and youth from the Bike Life movement; and the City’s first-ever Police Advisory Committee – a committee of community representatives formed to support partnership and transparency between the community and the Police Department. He is the current President of the San Mateo County Police Chiefs and Sheriff Association and has served on the San Mateo County Narcotics Task Force Governing Board and San Mateo County Juvenile Justice Coordinating Council.
“The men and women of the Redwood City Police Department are like family to me. It is because of them that I had the honor of a lifetime – to serve as Chief. Working alongside them on a daily basis for all of these years has been a privilege,” Mulholland said. “Our delivery of public safety is best accomplished by working in partnership with the community we serve. That partnership is strengthened through trust, familiarity and connectivity. The personal connections I have made with this community, always striving to hear first-hand from residents on how to better serve Redwood City, have been tremendously valuable.”
The City will commence an open recruitment process in January 2023, with the intent to appoint a new Police Chief prior to Chief Mulholland’s retirement in May. Community members are invited to provide input on characteristics needed in the next Police Chief by sending a message to policechiefrecruitment@