Piedmont Police Chief Jeremy Bowers to retire in Summer 2025
Piedmont Police Chief Jeremy Bowers has announced his intention to retire on July 17, 2025. In an open letter to the community (see below), Bowers offered his gratitude to residents for their “unwavering support and the collaborative spirit that has helped us all strive for better” during his time in Piedmont.
Bowers joined the City of Piedmont in 2014 as Police Captain after 18 years with the San Jose Police Department, where he rose from patrolman to sergeant, lieutenant, watch commander, and adjutant to Chief Rob Davis. In 2016, he was appointed Piedmont Police Chief following the retirement of former Chief Rikki Goede.
“Chief Bowers has had a profound and positive impact on Piedmont,” said Mayor Betsy Smegal Andersen. “Under his leadership, our Police Department has not only exemplified the highest professional standards but has also built meaningful, lasting relationships with residents across every neighborhood, positioning our department—and his successor—for continued success. Chief Bowers has led with integrity, compassion, and unwavering dedication to improving safety in our community and in our schools. On behalf of the entire City Council, I extend our heartfelt gratitude to Chief Bowers for his commitment and vision spanning three decades of public service. We wish him and his family the very best in his retirement.”
Chief Bowers receives Hometown Hero Award from SF DA Jenkins 
Chatting up residents at a Coffee and Cops event
Under Bowers’ leadership, the Piedmont Police Department has made significant investments in technology as a force multiplier, most notably expanding the use of automated license plate readers (ALPRs) and establishing Piedmont’s public safety camera system. Bowers had also overseen long- needed enhancements to the critical 9-1-1 dispatch function, including expansion of dispatch staffing for the first time since 1978 and the construction of a new 9-1-1 dispatch center in the City’s former Emergency Operations Center, which is currently underway.
Partnership with the Piedmont community has been a hallmark of Bowers’ tenure. In addition to launching new popular programs like Cop on the Block and establishing a social media presence for the Department, Bowers has partnered with community organizations like PADC and PREC to introduce new training for officers, Brady United and Everytown USA on community gun safety education campaigns, and worked with PUSD leadership to establish a Threat Assessment and Management Team for Piedmont schools.
The City has engaged Teri Black & Company, an experienced executive recruiting firm with expertise in law enforcement, to conduct a search for the City’s next Police Chief.
Police Chief Bowers announces his retirement in an open letter to the Piedmont community:
To the Piedmont Community,
In September 2014, I joined the Piedmont Police Department after 18 formative years of service with the San Jose Police Department. Nine years ago, I had the honor of being appointed as your Chief of Police. Now, after much contemplation and discussion with my family, the time has come for me to begin a new chapter. I will be retiring on July 17, 2025, concluding 29 years of service in law enforcement as a sworn officer.
As my retirement nears, I have been reflecting on my time serving the Piedmont community and the many dedicated individuals I have had the privilege to work alongside—both within the police department and across the broader City staff. I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to serve with the committed, capable, and compassionate members of the Piedmont Police Department, who continually demonstrate their dedication to our shared vision of exemplifying the best of policing.
I have learned much from, and thoroughly enjoyed working with, current and former department heads and City staff as we have worked together to provide exceptional service to this community. I am especially thankful for the support, trust, and confidence placed in me by City Administrators Rosanna Bayon Moore, Sara Lillevand, and Paul Benoit, which has allowed our Police Department to operate at the highest levels of policing while continuously striving for improvement. My appreciation also extends to current and past City Council Members, whose dedication to the Piedmont community is truly inspiring.
And to the residents of Piedmont—where do I begin? My family and I arrived in this community over ten years ago and were immediately welcomed. I am incredibly grateful for the community’s engagement with our Department, your unwavering support, and the collaborative spirit that has helped us all strive for better.
As my time with the City draws to a close, I remain committed to our important work and will do everything I can to ensure a smooth leadership transition. It has been my distinct honor to serve as your Chief of Police.
With gratitude and appreciation,Jeremy Bowers
Chief of Police
Photos courtesy of the City of Piedmont