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Former Pleasanton police chief David Spiller is set to the take the reins next week as the new permanent chief of the San Rafael Police Department.
Spiller, whose departure from the Pleasanton Police Department in November 2019 was described at the time as a retirement, has been working for the past 7-1/2 months as the interim police chief in Menlo Park.
“I am excited to be a part of this amazing San Rafael city organization,” Spiller said in a statement released by the city of San Rafael. “I genuinely look forward to lending my experience to San Rafael and working with a team of committed public service professionals. San Rafael is a wonderful, supportive community and I am eager to be a part of this very special place.”
Spiller did not respond to a request for comment from the Weekly this week. His first day on the job in San Rafael is scheduled for next Tuesday (March 16).
Lauding the former Pleasanton chief for an “impressive background as a law enforcement professional,” San Rafael city officials said Spiller rose to the top in a nationwide hiring process conducted by search firm Bob Murray & Associations. His starting salary will be $193,824 per year.
Spiller spent more than 17 years in managerial roles with Pleasanton PD, including eight-plus years as police chief beginning in 2011. A career police professional who has held every sworn rank position, Spiller worked for the San Diego and Mountain View police departments before coming to Pleasanton as a police lieutenant in 2002.
An attempt at retirement wouldn’t last long for Spiller. After stepping down as Pleasanton police chief on Nov. 14, 2019, he spent time working with the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation’s Office of Internal Affairs as a member of the organization’s Deadly Force Review Board before agreeing to become interim chief of the Menlo Park Police Department effective July 31 after an abrupt opening arose there.
When his San Rafael hiring was announced last month, Spiller received high praise from his predecessor there, retired chief Diana Bishop: “He is thoughtful, professional and a progressive thinker. The San Rafael community will be fortunate to have Chief Spiller leading its police department. The department is in great hands.”
San Rafael City Manager Jim Schutz added, “Chief Spiller has that rare combination of being a great communicator and also a great listener. From the women and men of the police department, to our very engaged community, Chief Spiller is going to build trust and keep San Rafael moving forward.”
Spiller’s successor as Menlo Park police chief was selected earlier this month: David Norris, a longtime police official in San Mateo.
