Sunnyvale’s new public safety chief wants to uphold his department’s unique, integrated approach to providing service and engaging with residents.
Daniel Pistor started as chief of the Department of Public Safety June 22, after former Chief Phan Ngo retired in April. The department is uniquely structured, as all sworn officers receive police, fire and EMT training. Pistor has been with the department for 22 years in several roles, including SWAT captain and most recently as deputy chief of fire services.
Pistor said the multiple responsibilities in the integrated system are what mainly drew him to the department, which has 293 employees — including 203 sworn officers.
“You get to be a fully trained firefighter, a fully trained police officer and on top of that you do EMT work, giving the community well-rounded service all the way,” he told San José Spotlight. “As a public safety department, we’re able to handle any emergency that comes across our way.”
One such emergency was a vehicle hate crime in 2019 when a motorist drove into a crowded crosswalk, injuring eight people. Pistor was the investigator managing the scene and said the department’s unique model allowed him to pull detectives working in the fire department.
“We were able to figure out how to keep our fire services whole, where they could still respond and do their core mission, but we were able to pull those prior detectives into this big scene,” Pistor said. “I think we did a great job there, and I think that really shows the power of the public safety model.”
Pistor joined Sunnyvale in 2003, but began his public safety career in his home state of Hawaii where he worked for six years with the Honolulu Police Department. He said his first assignment was patrolling the Waikiki neighborhood on foot, but he eventually became an investigator with the department’s High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas program and partnered with federal law enforcement.
Those foot patrols were formative, with Pistor stopping at local businesses and talking with residents about their safety concerns. That community engagement set the stage for joining Sunnyvale’s Department of Public Safety, which he said impressed him in how it works to connect with residents.
“I enjoyed the ability to talk with people like that, on a one-on-one level, and because it’s a foot beat, your beat’s pretty small, so you get to know the people,” he said. “I found it very rewarding.”
Sunnyvale City Manager Tim Kirby said Pistor’s hiring is a win for the city, as his years of experience within the department means he’s already familiar with how it operates and the broader community.
“I’ve worked with Chief Pistor for years, so I know firsthand the kind of leader he is,” Kirby told San José Spotlight. “I’m looking forward to continuing and improving upon Sunnyvale’s record for safety.”
One of Pistor’s top priorities is to strengthen the bond with residents. He plans to do that by hosting pancake breakfasts at Fire Station 2 and maintaining the Citizens Academy program, which lets residents learn about and experience work done by the department.
Mayor Larry Klein said he’s glad Pistor is coming in with an understanding of the city’s unique public safety model after decades of experience.
“I look forward to partnering with our new chief to keep our community safe and continue setting the standard for innovative public safety,” Klein told San José Spotlight.
Pistor helms a healthy workforce — the Department of Public Safety is nearly at capacity in a time when law enforcement offices are short staffed nationwide. But he’ll need to contend with the city’s paramedic needs amid a lack of support and slow ambulance response times countywide. While Sunnyvale officers receive EMT training, that differs from paramedics who can apply more advanced procedures in dire medical emergencies.
As chief, Pistor said he will prioritize supporting the department and meeting its workers’ needs, especially as the city grows.
“I think the future is very bright for the city, I think the future is very bright for DPS. I think we’re on the right track,” Pistor told San José Spotlight. “My challenge is just keeping us moving in the right direction.”
Contact B. Sakura Cannestra at [email protected] or @SakuCannestra on X.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.