Dublin Police Chief Garrett Holmes Announces Retirement

DUBLIN, CA — Dublin Police Chief Garrett Holmes announced Friday that he will retire from his post, effective March 17, just before the St. Patrick’s Day weekend celebration.

Holmes, a Commander with the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office, has served as Dublin Police Chief since December 15, 2017, and has worked in Dublin law enforcement for over 18 years.

“It has been an honor to serve the community of Dublin for over 18 years, and the last five as the Chief of Police,” Chief Holmes said in a statement. “Over the past two decades, the City has grown rapidly, but it still has a hometown feel. I have been extremely fortunate to work with the many dedicated women and men of Dublin Police Services, and I am grateful for the wonderful support that our community members have shown us through the years. Together, we have made the City a vibrant and safe place to live and work.”

“We thank Chief Holmes for his years of service and leadership to the City of Dublin,” Mayor Melissa Hernandez said in a statement. “We look forward to continuing his legacy of community policing and making Dublin a safe place to live and work.”

Holmes, a Pleasanton native, has worked in law enforcement for over 30 years, according to a city news release. He began as a Reserve Deputy for the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office in 1993. He then worked for several years at North County Jail and Santa Rita Jail before becoming a deputy for Dublin Police Services.

Holmes worked for Dublin until 2009 in many posts, including patrol, crime prevention, investigations, a field training officer and supervisor, patrol supervisor and administration sergeant, and eventually rose to the rank of lieutenant.

Holmes left Dublin in 2009 to serve several roles with the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office, including as Captain and Commanding Officer of Oakland International Airport.

He returned to Dublin in 2015 to oversee the department’s operations and administration, and served as second-in-command under then-Commander Dennis Houghtelling. In early 2017, he was promoted to Commander of the Countywide Services Division, and in December 2017, he was promoted to Chief.

During his years as Chief, Holmes led DPS through the COVID-19 pandemic and the unrest surrounding the death of George Floyd. During the pandemic, he worked to improve department transparency by holding regular online meetings and creating the first Dublin Police Annual Report. He was a regular fixture at Dublin activities, including the Farmers’ Market, the St. Patrick’s Day celebration, and Coffee with the Chief events.

“Chief Holmes’ retirement is personally and professionally bittersweet,” Dublin City Manager Linda Smith said in a statement. “I have had the opportunity to work closely with him these last eight years and to have had a front row seat, watching him take community policing to the next level. He’s a man of great integrity, is extremely caring, and has always wanted the best for the City. He is deserving of all wonderful comments to come, and he will be dearly missed.”