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Pleasanton’s Police Chief David Swing will be leaving the department soon after having accepted an executive director position at the East Bay Regional Communications System Authority, according to a press release from the city on Friday.
After putting in for retirement from the city effective in April, Swing is expected to start his new job in May, according to the press release.
“Choosing to retire from a profession, city and department that has given me so much was a tremendously difficult decision,” Swing said in a statement. “Throughout my time in Pleasanton, I was continuously impressed by how the women and men of the police department cared for our community and each other.”
The East Bay Regional Communications System Authority was created in September 2007, and according to its website, its goal is to “build, own and operate a state-of-the-art P25 compliant communications system for the public agencies within Alameda and Contra Costa counties.”
According to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, P25 systems are land mobile radio systems that provide tactical and emergency communications capabilities to public safety agencies nationwide.
“While I am looking forward to the new professional challenges ahead with EBRCSA and continuing to serve in a purpose-filled role, I will always look back fondly on how the department welcomed me during the onset of the pandemic and hope the relationships I’ve made last as long as the things we accomplished,” Swing said.
Swing first joined the Pleasanton Police Department in the midst of the COVID pandemic in April 2020, with the social justice reform protests sparked by the murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis police to soon follow in Pleasanton as they did nationwide.
Before Pleasanton, Swing worked as the police chief of Morgan Hill for nine years and simultaneously served as the president of the California Police Chiefs Association where he “actively engaged state legislators and successfully influenced legislation impacting California law enforcement agencies.”
During his entire career, Swing had built a track record of strategic budget management, committing to community engagement and personnel development, and deploying new law enforcement technology to tackle complex issues in the community, according to the city press release.
More specifically, when he was police chief for Pleasanton, Swing became instrumental in the development and implementation of the alternative response unit, which was fully operational at the beginning of 2023.
The unit works to identify and follow up on calls made to the department regarding individuals experiencing a mental health crisis. Instead of sending officers, trained mental health clinicians respond to those situations.
Last year, the special unit was able to reduce the number of psychiatric holds by 47% and the unit was even awarded with the Helen Putnam Award for Excellence last September for its development.
During his tenure with the city, Swing also helped develop and implement a five-year strategic plan, increased employee recognition through an inaugural department awards ceremony, and led the establishment of a Community Advisory Board, where residents can offer input to the department regarding policies and practices.
“Our community has benefited from Chief Swing’s leadership, expertise, and passion for public service and public safety,” City Manager Gerry Beaudin said in the press release.
Communications Manager Heather Tiernan told the Weekly that the city will be conducting a “robust recruitment process for our next police chief” and that Beaudin will be naming an interim chief during that recruitment process.