Sunnyvale’s new police chief is looking forward to fostering good working relationships with those in his department and improving public engagement.
Last month, Sunnyvale hired Daniel Pistor as chief of the city’s public safety department. Following a nationwide search, the city promoted Pistor, who had been serving as the deputy chief of fire services.
Ensuring public access is essential to the department’s success, Pistor said. He wants to prioritize attending community events such as the pancake breakfast and the department’s torch run. Such efforts, he said, will allow him to understand departmental barriers, empowering him to ask questions about what residents want to see out of it.
“I know that leadership is more than just sitting in my office,” Pistor said. “As a department, we do a really good job at our public outreach … The only way we can be effective in fighting crime is with that community partnership and that means removing those barriers.”
Pistor began his career with the Honolulu Police Department, where he worked on multi-state narcotics investigations. Joining Sunnyvale’s department in 2003, his leadership roles include K9 officer, SWAT captain and public information officer.
He also had a central role in the department’s COVID-19 emergency response and its efforts to improve firefighter safety, operational efficiency and emergency readiness.
As an integrated department — providing police, fire and emergency services — Sunnyvale faces a slew of unique challenges.
With a focus on “flexible fluidity,” Pistor said he aims to bolster cooperation between departments.
“The fact that I have gone through all the training that we expect our officers to go through. I think I have strong support from inside this building,” Pistor said. “But that could change on a dime. I need to work hard to keep engagement in my department.”
Departmental support is an area where the previous chief, Pham Ngo, struggled.
Between 2017 and 2023, nearly 30 officers left the department, compared to just three in the same number of years prior to Ngo’s appointment. In his first year and a half, the public safety officers’ union issued a vote of no-confidence.
Many alleged Ngo maintained a tight grip on the department, suppressing dissent and promoting officers because of favoritism. In 2020, an internal survey showed that 81% of officers felt Ngo was bad at building trust, and 75% doubted his leadership.
Devon Klein, president of the union, wrote in an email that Pistor is “Monday ready,” writing that he “knows our organization and our strengths, and he can start making progress immediately.”
The department is “well-positioned to make positive changes,” Klein wrote, but needs to improve issues such as its crumbling infrastructure, lack of data analysis and staffing levels “as soon as possible.”
“We look forward to working with Chief Pistor to open up lines of communication and start working in a collaborative fashion to move our department forward. [Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety] needs a champion, an advocate to achieve these goals,” Klein wrote. “We are hopeful Chief Pistor will be that champion, as we are prepared to ensure he has the support to be successful.”
Pistor said he strives to engage with labor early in the decision-making process to make sure it “has a voice.” Although he said the department is “well-supported,” he wants to empower officers to get essential training so operations don’t become a “logistical nightmare.”
While community surveys consistently show the public has high satisfaction in the department’s performance, Pistor said he wants to continue to foster that trust.
“I understand that it can go away in a flash. Community trust is something I will work to nurture,” said Pistor.
Contact David Alexander at d.todd.alexander@gmail.com
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