From: Hamilton Hitchings
To: Council, City
Subject: I support James Reifschneider for Palo Alto Police Chief Date: Sunday, April 5, 2026 4:10:52 PM
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I support promoting James Reifschneider to be Palo Alto’s next Police Chief.
My support is based on years of direct experience with Palo Alto police leadership, police policy, and community oversight. That includes helping author the Safety Element of our city’s Comprehensive Plan, including discussions about body-worn cameras and accountability. In addition, completing Stanford’s Citizen’s Police Academy, and serving for five years on Chief Jonsen’s Citizen Advisory Group.
Over those years, Assistant Chief Andrew Binder brought major department reforms to our committee for presentation and feedback following the murder of George Floyd. Those reforms were then implemented and continued when he became chief. Based on that experience, it was clear to me that the department’s leadership was aligned in moving Palo Alto toward a more transparent, accountable, and community-centered culture. I believe Acting Chief Reifschneider will continue that work.
I have
also worked with Acting Chief Reifschneider on adoption of some of the department’s more complex technologies. I found him to have an in-depth, on-point and clear-headed understanding of the issues.
The processes he helped put in place were
more careful and more thorough than those in many neighboring agencies, and that helped Palo Alto avoid some of the public missteps other cities have faced.
One of the things I respected about Chief Binder was his willingness to spend real time with community members, including his strongest critics. Acting Chief Reifschneider has that same spirit. He is personable, responsive, and willing to listen. I believe he will continue a culture where the community is heard and its concerns are taken seriously.
I also speak from the perspective of having served on the Police Chief interview committee.
In my professional life as a former tech executive, I interviewed hundreds of candidates and wrote performance evaluations for many managers and directors. Our committee interviewed the top four external candidates, along with Assistant Chief Binder, before selecting him.
If Acting Chief Reifschneider had been the internal candidate at that time, my recommendation would have been the same.
Palo Alto does not need to start over. We already have an outstanding leader serving as Acting Chief.
James Reifschneider is earnest, hardworking, highly intelligent, knowledgeable, and extremely capable. He is a strong communicator, and I believe he will carry forward the best of the culture and practices Chief Binder put in place.
For those reasons, I strongly support the City Manager’s recommendation to appoint James Reifschneider as Palo Alto’s next Police Chief.
Hamilton Hitchings