Novato Police Chief to Retire; Interim Chief Named

NOVATO, CA — Novato police Chief James Berg, who has been on medical leave since February, has announced his retirement as of Aug. 1, due to a permanent disability, according to a news release issued Wednesday by the city of Novato.

Joseph Kreins, a former Novato police chief for eight years, will return in an interim capacity in August to manage the department and assist in the hiring of a new chief, according to the news release, while Capt. Matt McCaffrey, who has been serving as Novato’s interim police chief since February, will be returning to his duties as captain for the NPD.

"Capt. McCaffrey has done an outstanding job in the last six months — serving as the interim police chief while performing his captain duties as well," said Interim City Manager Cathy Capriola. "I would like to express the city’s deep gratitude to Capt. McCaffrey for his leadership and management of the NPD during this time of transition."

Capriola said she is pleased to welcome back Kreins, saying he "has a deep knowledge of Novato and excellent leadership skills."

Berg is retiring after 31 years of service to the Novato Police Department and the community.

"The city is deeply thankful for Chief Berg’s leadership and long career of committed service to the Novato Police Department and the Novato community,” Capriola said. "His professionalism, remarkable work ethic and dedication will be greatly missed."

According to the news release, Berg was hired by the city in 1985 and promoted through the ranks to become chief of police in 2012. During his tenure, he served in several police specialty assignments, including traffic, professional standards, patrol watch commander and as commander of the Special Response Team.

Traffic safety has been a priority for Berg throughout his career. In 1988, through extraordinary effort, he solved 27 hit-and-run cases — the highest in department history. His emphasis on traffic safety resulted in the NPD receiving multiple grants for pedestrian, bicycle and traffic safety programs and DUI enforcement. In 2014 and 2015, the Department was recognized by the California Highway Patrol as the best in California for its traffic safety program.

Berg emphasized the importance of technology in the department to improve efficiency, effectiveness and safety, including the implementation of the automated license plate readers and the issuing of body-worn cameras for every officer.

In addition to being a past recipient of the Police Officer of the Year award and a graduate of the FBI National Academy, his accomplishments and service to the community included serving on a variety of community boards and committees, including the Center for Domestic Peace, the Novato Human Needs Center and the Jeannette Prandi Children’s Center.

During his tenure as chief of police, Berg secured nearly $2 million in law enforcement grants for the department — which experienced its lowest violent crime rate in 2014. He has been a valued member of the city’s executive management team and has served with distinction throughout his 31-year career with the city and the Novato Police Department.

Interim Chief Kreins has more than 35 years of law enforcement experience. In 2001, he was appointed police chief for the Sausalito Police Department. Two years later, he was promoted to assistant city manager, along with his position of police chief.

In 2004, he was appointed chief of police for Novato. He led the Novato Police Department until 2012, when he was recruited to serve as chief of police for the city of Vallejo, a community of 115,000. Kreins provided leadership in Vallejo during a critical period, following that city’s emergence from bankruptcy and during a time when police staffing levels were significantly reduced due to financial challenges, and there were growing concerns about crime in Vallejo.

Kreins most recently served as the interim chief of police for the cities of Winters and Benicia.

The city will launch a recruitment for the position this fall, with the goal of having a new police chief in place by early next year.

(Photo: Police Chief James Berg, left, and Interim Chief Joe Kreins)