Piedmont Police Chief Jeremy Bowers has announced his intention to retire on July 17, 2025. In an open letter to the community, 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.”
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.