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The Menlo Park Police Department has hired a new police commander, Rich Struckman, who was scheduled to start Tuesday, Nov. 13. He will be expected to oversee the Patrol Division, according to a city announcement.

Struckman grew up in San Fransisco and joined the U.S. Army in 1984. Starting in 1990, he worked at the San Francisco Police Department for 27 years, rising in the ranks from officer to captain before retiring in June 2017. During his time in that department, he commanded the narcotics division, spent time as a federal task force agent with the Drug Enforcement Administration and U.S. Customs Service, worked as a labor representative, taught at the police academy and participated in a police youth fishing program. He was the department’s chief personnel officer at the end of his tenure there.

He holds an associate degree in liberal arts from City College of San Francisco, a bachelor’s degree in law enforcement management from San Francisco State University and a master’s degree in organizational leadership from Saint Mary’s College of California. He has also graduated from the Police Executive Research Forum Senior Management Institute for Police and Leadership San Francisco, according to the announcement.

“We are very fortunate to have Rich join our team. His breadth of experience will benefit the Police Department and he will be a great addition to our command staff,” said Menlo Park Police Chief Dave Bertini.

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Rich Struckman. (Photo courtesy city of Menlo Park.)
Rich Struckman. (Photo courtesy city of Menlo Park.)

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3 Comments

  2. We sure do. California can’t afford, long-term, to pay public sector workers around $500K/year (new large salary plus existing large pension). But as long as the public sector unions have so much influence in politics, it’s not likely to change.

  3. We can stop hiring these double dippers. It’s the city manager and current police chief that makes the hiring decisions. The city council hires the city manager, in turn, controls the budget for the police department.

    Outsourcing police services makes so much sense now.

    1) No future additional CalPERS Debt.
    2) Make these double dippers really work. I’m sure the sheriffs office will put them to work.
    3) CHEAPER for the city of Menlo Patk. Get rid of the chief, commanders and many supervisors.
    4) Stop the Facebook Butt kissing.

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