New Police Chief Announced In This San Mateo County Town Is A Former SF Deputy Chief

BURLINGAME, CA — The city manager announced that the new police chief Thursday in Burlingame is a law enforcement officer with 31 years of experience, including his recent position at the deputy chief of the special operations bureau in San Francisco.

Lisa Goldman, the Burlingame City Manager, said after an extensive search that the new Burlingame Police Chief is Raj Vaswani.

“I am delighted to welcome Raj Vaswani to the City of Burlingame and look forward to working with him,” Goldman said. “With his wealth of experience in law enforcement, Raj was my top pick and was the unanimous choice of the City’s Department Head team. I’m confident his expertise and commitment will make him a tremendous asset to the organization and the Burlingame community.”

Goldman said the city interviewed several other police chiefs and the entire Burlingame Department Head team.

Vaswani is replacing former Police Chief Michael Matteucci, who retired in December 2024 after serving 33 years in Burlingame.

Vaswani has been a police officer for 31 years. His most recent position was working at the deputy chief of the special operations bureau for the San Francisco Police Department. He has also served on SFPD’s command staff as commander of investigations and deputy chief of investigations. Also, as a police captain, he was the citywide night captain, motors/traffic unit, and served as commanding officer for two stations, Park and Bayview.

Earlier in his career as a lieutenant, Vaswani was a watch commander in the Mission District and later worked in the administration bureau on business permitting, special projects, and facilities. He also served in the chief of staff's office, overseeing the legal division.

Vaswani holds a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from San Jose State University and is a graduate of the San Francisco Police Department’s Leadership Development Institute.

“I am honored to serve as Burlingame’s next police chief and look forward to working alongside the dedicated members of the Burlingame Police Department to keep our community safe,” Vaswani said. “I’m also excited to collaborate with the city team to plan for the future. Additionally, I’m committed to strengthening partnerships with our residents, local businesses, and schools to ensure we continue building a strong, connected community."