San Pablo has appointed a new police chief, the city said. 

Captain Brian Bubar, who is a 21-year veteran of the department, will be San Pablo’s next chief of police. 

Bubar was selected from a field of 13 applicants and has been serving as interim chief since the retirement of Chief Ron Raman in late December. 

According to the city, Bubar rose through the ranks over the years and earned a master’s degree in 2021 in law enforcement and public safety leadership from the University of San Diego. He also has a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice. 

City Manager Matt Rodriguez said in a statement Monday that Bubar “understands the importance of community engagement practices” and the use of technology. 

Bubar’s first official day as chief will be May 1, and he will be the city’s first Asian American police chief since the city’s incorporation in 1948. 

Katy St. Clair got her start in journalism by working in the classifieds department at the East Bay Express during the height of alt weeklies, then sweet talked her way into becoming staff writer, submissions editor, and music editor. She has been a columnist in the East Bay Express, SF Weekly, and the San Francisco Examiner. Starting in 2015, she begrudgingly scaled the inverted pyramid at dailies such as the Vallejo Times-Herald, The Vacaville Reporter, and the Daily Republic. She has her own independent news site and blog that covers the delightfully dysfunctional town of Vallejo, California, where she also collaborates with the investigative team at Open Vallejo. A passionate advocate for people with developmental disabilities, she serves on both the Board of the Arc of Solano and the Arc of California. She lives in Vallejo.