Mark Koller appointed 14th Chief of Police
City Manager Kelly McAdoo last month appointed Mark Koller Chief of Police, a position he has held on an acting and interim basis since last August. He will be sworn-in as the city’s 14th Police Chief in a public ceremony in the City Hall Rotunda at 3 p.m. Monday, Aug. 21.
The selection of Koller, a second-generation Hayward police officer, capped a national search and competitive application process that included finalist interviews with panels of Hayward community members, HPD command staff, sworn officers and professional staff, and Hayward municipal government department heads.
City Manager McAdoo said Koller, 54, has demonstrated the vision, demeanor and respect for the public necessary of a police chief in a diverse city that values community-oriented policing and during a period of heightened expectations of accountability on the part of local law enforcement.
“Mark has earned the confidence and admiration of his colleagues within HPD, across city government and in the community at large by being approachable, forthright and honest, being adaptable, open to change and ready to confront new challenges,” McAdoo said. “I believe whole-heartedly that we have, in Chief Koller, the best possible person for the job and the best person to lead the department for years to come.”
Koller called the appointment an honor of a lifetime—noting both he and his father, retired Inspector David Koller, have been career Hayward police officers. “This is the highest honor to have an opportunity to give back to this community, a city that is so much a part of me, and to lead a department which my father also has served and which I have served throughout my entire adult career,” he said.
