Chief Brian Matthews told the March 8 retreat that the Police Department faces staffing and retention pressures while continuing accreditation and regional technology projects.

Matthews said the department remains engaged in national accreditation (CALEA) reviews and had recently completed an on‑site assessment, and he told council the department is building a real‑time operations center to better use data and regional camera systems. “We are making progress,” Matthews said of the accreditation process and the department's organizational assessment, and he said staff will present an implementation plan to the Public Safety Committee.

On staffing, Matthews said the department has significant vacancies and that recruiting remains a priority. He reported 41 current employees are eligible to retire (20 of them officers) and that the department had sent a 10‑person class to the academy, the largest class he could recall in recent years. The chief described hiring and training timelines as lengthy: academy and field training mean new hires may take about a year before reaching full field operation.

Matthews gave crime and clearance context: he said Hayward recorded 14 homicides in calendar year 2024 and that investigators have solved 10 of those cases to date. He described partnerships with the district attorney's office on charging and with regional agencies to share camera and other data for investigations.

The chief described mental‑health and co‑response programs as an expanding area of work. He said the department filled a mental‑health specialist position and is adding app‑based and clinical supports for staff, and he described ongoing partnerships with Alameda County Behavioral Health for co‑response teams that pair clinicians with officers. Matthews said the county partnership has helped reduce the use of force in co‑response incidents and that the department continues to explore ways to expand clinician support and non‑police responses.

Councilors asked about school safety, response times and how data and camera systems are being used to guide resource deployment. Matthews said the department will continue to prioritize community partnerships and data‑driven deployment to match resources with high‑need locations.