A VETERAN SAN FRANCISCO COP has been tapped as Burlingame’s next police chief, following a search process that included interviews with fellow law enforcement leaders and the city’s department heads, according to city officials.
City Manager Lisa Goldman announced the appointment of Raj Vaswani on Thursday, calling him “my top pick” and praising the depth of his experience in law enforcement. Vaswani will step into the role on Monday. He replaces former Chief Michael Matteucci, who retired in December of last year after 33 years with the department.
“I am delighted to welcome Raj Vaswani to the City of Burlingame and look forward to working with him,” Goldman said in a statement. “With his wealth of experience in law enforcement, Raj was my top pick and was the unanimous choice of the City’s Department Head team. I’m confident his expertise and commitment will make him a tremendous asset to the organization and the Burlingame community.”
Vaswani brings more than three decades of service with the San Francisco Police Department, most recently as deputy chief of the Special Operations Bureau. His prior roles include commander of investigations, deputy chief of investigations, and police captain.
He is a graduate of San Jose State University with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and completed the SFPD Leadership Development Institute’s 2019-2020 cohort.
“I am honored to serve as Burlingame’s next Police Chief and look forward to working alongside the dedicated members of the Burlingame Police Department to keep our community safe,” Vaswani said. “I’m also excited to collaborate with the City team to plan for the future. Additionally, I’m committed to strengthening partnerships with our residents, local businesses, and schools to ensure we continue building a strong, connected community.”
Vaswani will be formally introduced to the community during the City Council meeting on Aug. 18.