HAYWARD — Police Chief Mark Koller will retire in July after serving with the department for 38 years.
Koller, who announced Wednesday that he will be stepping down, has led the 197-officer department since August 2016. He was paid $220,701.20 in salary and $402,299.20 in total benefits in 2017, according to Transparent California.
“After nearly four decades of service, it is time to pass the torch and devote my time to my wife and family, who have been patiently waiting and supporting me all along the way,” he said in a statement.
City Manager Kelly McAdoo said she will announce plans for identifying and appointing a replacement for the 55-year-old Koller in the coming days.
A Hayward native, Koller began his law enforcement career at age 14 as a police explorer in Newark. He joined the Hayward Police Department in 1981, initially as a community service officer, then as a jailer and later as a crime scene technician.
Koller became an officer in 1984 and went on to serve in a variety of roles, including as a patrolman and narcotics investigator, and rose through the ranks until assuming the chief’s role in August 2016.
“Mark Koller brought stability to the department when it was needed and moved it forward in ways that are increasingly important in society today,” McAdoo said.
According to a city release, Koller’s recent accomplishments include helping create the police chief’s “community advisory panel,” which is made up of between eight and 14 community members, with the goal of improving trust and understanding between the public and law enforcement. The panel was launched earlier this month.