Toney Chaplin appointed Hayward Chief of Police
Toney Chaplin, the San Francisco assistant chief of police, was selected late last month to lead the Hayward Police Department.
“It is with great enthusiasm and excitement that I appoint Toney Chaplin as the next leader of our distinguished Hayward Police Department and to become its 15th chief of police," said City Manager Kelly McAdoo in announcing the selection July 24.
A veteran San Francisco cop and Hayward resident, Chaplin was chosen to lead HPD’s approximately 200-officer force following a nationwide search and competitive evaluation process that included interviews with panels of community members, other California chiefs of police, HPD officers, other personnel and command staff, and members of the City Manager’s executive team.
“I’m humbled and honored to be chosen, and I’m grateful for all that my San Francisco colleagues have done to help prepare me,” Chaplin said. He expressed enthusiasm about taking the helm of department that has earned and maintained CALEA (Commission on the Accreditation of Law Enforcement Agencies) accreditation “with distinction,” noting that only two percent of departments nationwide achieve this accreditation, which involves review of all department policies, procedure and training to make sure they reflect best policing practices.
Chaplin, who succeeds retired Hayward Police Chief Mark Koller, will assume command on Tuesday, Sept. 3. In San Francisco, Chaplin held every departmental rank—from patrol officer to interim chief of police—and will bring to Hayward a leadership style described as “inclusive, optimistic and focused on moving the profession forward into the 21st century of policing.”
