New Fremont Police Chief Targets Crime, Crashes
- Fremont Police Chief Floyd Mitchell said this week that his first priorities are cutting property crime and reducing deadly crashes, after taking over the department in April following his move from Oakland. - Mitchell said Fremont had seven traffic deaths in 2025 and five more so far in 2026, and he has expanded the traffic unit and directed patrol officers toward traffic enforcement. - Fremont is pairing that push with a real-time information center and data-led policing tools as the city tries to hold onto its low violent-crime reputation. (abc7news.com)
Fremont’s new police chief, Floyd Mitchell, says his first targets are property crime and fatal traffic crashes. (cbsnews.com) (abc7news.com) Mitchell, the former Oakland police chief, was sworn in as Fremont’s top cop on April 16, 2026, after the city selected him through a nationwide search. (ktvu.com) (patch.com) In interviews aired April 23 and April 24, Mitchell said he is already using department data to decide where to send officers and what problems need the fastest response. (cbsnews.com) (abc7news.com) The number that jumped out to him was traffic deaths. Mitchell said Fremont recorded seven traffic-related fatalities in 2025 and had already recorded five deaths by late April 2026. (abc7news.com) (fremontpolice.gov) His response is more enforcement. Mitchell said he has expanded the traffic unit and wants patrol officers to take a more active role in stopping dangerous driving to change what he called Fremont’s driving culture. (abc7news.com) Crime is the other half of the plan. Mitchell said Fremont remains relatively low in violent crime, but still deals with property crime and organized retail theft, especially in busy commercial areas. (abc7news.com) (cbsnews.com) That helps explain why Mitchell keeps returning to data-led patrols. He said officers will be sent where crime patterns, neighborhoods, or specific suspects show the biggest need. (abc7news.com) Fremont is also adding technology behind that strategy. The department’s Real Time Information Center officially launched on May 6, 2025, and police say it uses integrated tools to support faster response and crime reduction. (fremontpolice.gov 1) (fremontpolice.gov 2) City leaders have framed Mitchell’s hiring around continuity inside Alameda County. Mayor Raj Salwan said Fremont wants to remain one of the safest large cities, while Councilmember Kathy Kimberlin said regional issues like homelessness, traffic, and housing require cities to work together. (ktvu.com) Residents are not all looking for the same thing from the new chief. In KTVU’s reporting, one longtime resident said he wants homelessness addressed without criminalization, even as other residents told CBS they want a tougher response to theft and disorder. (ktvu.com) (cbsnews.com) Fremont’s police department handled 280,232 calls in 2024, according to its annual report, and Mitchell is stepping in with a mandate to keep a generally safe city from sliding on crashes, theft, and public trust. (fremontpolice.gov)
