Current acting chief of police Andrew Binder was selected as Palo Alto’s chief of police, the Palo Alto city manager’s office announced Tuesday. The city manager will present Binder’s selection to the city council on August 8 for final approval.
Binder is a 25-year-veteran in law enforcement. He’s served more than seven years in Palo Alto and previously, 18 years in San Jose. During his time with Palo Alto’s police force, Binder held command-level and executive-leadership roles including lieutenant, captain, assistant chief and acting chief.
“I am confident that Andrew’s experience and leadership skills position him well to advance Palo Alto’s public safety priorities,” City Manager Ed Shikada said in the announcement. “He also has the knowledge, commitment, and forward-thinking that aligns with the Palo Alto community.”
Binder received a Criminal Justice Administration degree from San Jose State University and a master’s degree in Criminal Justice from Arizona State University. He’s also completed the FBI National Academy for Law Enforcement Managers and the Peace Officers Standards and Training Executive Development Course, according to the announcement.
“I am honored to continue to work with members of the police department, City Manager Shikada, and the City’s department heads and look forward to building on the progress we’ve made delivering public safety services to the community,” Binder said in the announcement. “The police department will continue addressing crime professionally and equitably, and focus on key areas such as accountability, communications and community engagement, and the wellness of our personnel.”