Hayward officials said that career officer Bryan Matthews has been appointed the city’s 16th chief of police.
Matthews succeeds Chief Toney Chaplin, who announced last month he would retire and close out a 33-year career in policing.
Chaplin had been on work-related injury leave and Matthews served as acting chief until appointed to the permanent post this week by Hayward City Manager Kelly McAdoo.
“Bryan grew up in Hayward and the surrounding areas and brings a deep sense of personal commitment to this new role of chief after serving the department and city for many years,” McAdoo said.
Chief Matthews will be sworn in later this month.
“I appreciate the trust City Manager McAdoo has in me and am grateful for the opportunity to continue to give back to the community that, in many ways, raised me.” Bryan Matthews, Hayward police chief
The new chief will lead the Hayward Police Department’s 197 sworn officers and 136.5 non-sworn professional staff positions.
“I appreciate the trust City Manager McAdoo has in me and am grateful for the opportunity to continue to give back to the community that, in many ways, raised me,” Matthews said.
Matthews began his law enforcement career in 1999 and has served in Hayward for 24 years in assignments that include patrol, training, gang investigations, SWAT, community policing and internal affairs.
Matthews earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology from California State University, Hayward, now California State University, East Bay, and a master’s degree in organizational leadership from Columbia Southern University.
He is a graduate of the FBI National Academy, the California POST Command College, and the Harvard Kennedy School of Government’s Senior Executives in State and Local Government Program.