Union City Police Chief to Receive Prestigious NAACP Award

Announcement submitted by City of Union City:

The South Alameda County NAACP is set to recognize Union City Police Chief Darryl McAllister as its 2015 Person of the Year at an award ceremony on Friday, November 6th the Marriot Fremont Silicon Valley Hotel at 6:30 p.m. The award, which is in its 37th year, recognizes individuals who have strengthened their communities through justice, trust and collaboration. The South Alameda County NAACP has selected Chief McAllister for this prestigious award because of his profound impact on the southern Alameda County community over the course of his 34-year career in law enforcement.

Chief McAllister joined the South Alameda County NAACP, a local chapter of the national organization, in 1995 when he was a police sergeant at the Hayward Police Department. He saw the organization as a resource to help diversify law enforcement through what was then considered revolutionary recruitment, hiring practices and cultural diversity training. He also saw the organization as a way to ensure the advancement, success and justice of communities that are traditionally underserved or less fortunate, which is why he started mentoring youth in the organization’s Reality Mentor, Inc. program.

Twenty years later and now serving as Police Chief in Union City, McAllister has spurred record-high levels of community engagement initiatives that are widely popular among community members. His cornerstone to drawing a connection with the community is through the use of story-telling and direct access to him and other top Union City Police staff. Union City Mayor Carol Dutra-Vernaci explains how Chief McAllister’s motto of “every contact counts” has precipitated an entire culture shift in the Union City Police Department.

“As a first-time police chief in Union City, Chief McAllister is in a position to implement programs that he may have been thinking about for several years. The community loves his charisma, the fact that he is highly visible and accessible and that he works tirelessly to communicate his vision for UCPD. But, most of all, he exemplifies an attitude and leadership level that others can aspire to in their life and careers,” says Mayor Dutra-Vernaci.

In May 2015, Chief McAllister was asked by the South Alameda County NAACP to be a presenter at the Action Readiness Summit, which created a platform where local law enforcement leaders discussed high profile cases, like the Ferguson shooting case, that had sparked a national debate on police-community tension.

Two months later, Chief McAllister worked with a team of community planners to host a smaller version of the Action Readiness Summit in Union City for local youth. Even though Union City Police Department already enjoys strong support from the community, McAllister saw this as an opportunity to have a candid conversation with local youth to celebrate the positive relationship between police and youth and to discuss the national stories that are impacting many people’s perception of law enforcement.

Union City Police Captain Jared Rinetti explains, “There is a new era of policing, not only in Union City, but across the country. Chief McAllister has shaped our culture based on these emerging trends and taught us that people don’t trust who they don’t know, and that trust and transparency in UCPD is essential for our community.”

The South Alameda County NAACP is expecting about 200 attendees at the ceremonytomorrow night. Guests will include family, friends, work peers from both Cities of Union City and Hayward and local elected officials.

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