Former Police Chief Chris Moore Lands New Public Safety Gig

Former San Jose Police Chief Chris Moore has a new job as senior vice president for Rivada Networks, a company that designs broadband public safety communications for state and local government agencies. Moore retired from SJPD in January after serving the city of San Jose for more than 27 years. It was assumed Moore wouldn’t stay unemployed for long, but his new digs have an interesting backstory.

Rivada has made a habit out of filling its board positions with former military men and national security officials. Declan Ganley, founder and CEO of Rivada, has quite the background himself, having sold aluminum commodities as a young man in the former Soviet Union, then running a “high-profile” jewelry website and later forming communications contracts with the U.S. military.

Estimated to be worth hundreds of millions, Ganley also started in 2006 the Libertas party in Ireland, which eventually led to some critics referring to him as “a puppet of the U.S. military.” He lost a bid for a seat on the European Parliament in 2009.

Other Rivada board members include: Michael Jackson, former chief operating officer of the Dept. of Homeland Security; Richard Meyers, former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; Peter Goldscheider, a finance expert who created EPIC; George Foresman, former secretary of preparedness at Homeland Security; James Loy, previously a deputy secretary for Homeland Security; and Charles Guthrie, the former chief of general staff for the British Army.

Moore’s inclusion in this group makes some sense, as his public safety profile is he did receive a White House fellowship with the US Department of Justice and was a recipient of a Fulbright Police Research Fellowship in the United Kingdom. What may have helped him most in landing the job, however, is some of the time Moore spent traveling during his final years with the SJPD.

Moore received criticism in 2011 for his frequent business trips to Washington D.C. to conduct meetings on broadband emergency communications. Meanwhile, during some of these this trips, the San Jose murder rate soared. Moore was out of town throughout May, considered one of the “bloodiest” months of that year.
In a press release sent out Friday, Ganley seemed to confirm that Moore’s work in this respect was a key factor in his hiring.

“As the founding Chairman of the Public Safety Alliance (PSA), Chief Moore was instrumental in bringing the public safety community together and forged a consensus that ultimately led to the FirstNet legislation,” Ganley said. “We are pleased to have him on board as we all work together to make the nationwide public safety broadband network a reality.”

A quick check with City Hall confirmed that Moore did not receive any outside income in his final two years with SJPD. His retirement in January delayed his lump-sum retirement payout from the city, but it is expected to be worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.

H/T to The Daily Fetch.

7 Comments

  1. Chief Moore used his time in office to throw the men and women of the SJPD under the bus, while traveling to Washington DC on the taxpayers dime, to grease the skids for his next job. He was at the helm while this department was dismantled officer by officer, and unit by unit.

    • Agree,

      Moore was a lousy chief and had long term plans other than helping his officers.  BUT we cannot blame him because this city council hates the police department. Chuck wants to blame it on pensions, the very contracts that he signed off on. BUT because the city decided not to pay into pensions during the good times and invested in RDA and other pet projects they are now on the hook.

      Love that they screwed us for 92 million for a police sub station that will probably never open.

      To this day, this council hides money and think they have an unlimited credit card.

      Lets take away all their freebees (cars, gas, phones, free tickets to events, etc.) and see what they have to say.

      • What you say about the city council is true. It is also true that Moore spent a great deal of time in Washington DC ensuring his own future, rather than in the trenches with the troops, while the city council dismantled the department.

  2. Chris Moore was for sure the worst Chief of Police this City has ever seen!  Never a policeman and didn’t understand police work!  I am glad they are pleased to have him on board, at least until they realize the truth, because we are certainly glad to see him go!

  3. Chris Moore is a nice, intelligent guy was in way over his head as Chief of Police.  He was not a leader at a time when a true leader was most needed.

    • Any clown who would say this just doesn’t like cops.  You’re probably stoned on mushrooms this weekend while your county pension keeps mounting.  No one’s interested in anything you say so just go away, joker.

  4. The only people who might have anything positive to say about Moore are his very close friends or his obedient minion followers.  In his short time as COP, Moore did more damage ( pun intended ) than any other COP in history of the department.

    1) I will never forget the day when Moore came into briefing and asked us to take a 10% pay cut.  The first time in the history of the department where a COP devalued his own people.  He said it would be a sign of good faith to work with the city.  Well, the Police Department is in arbitration to get that 10% back because the city does not want to give the 10% back, part of a sunset clause agreement.

    2) He was never around.  He was always in Washington selling his project of an inter agency communicating system.  Hmmm…..look at where he is now. 

    3) In the heart of Silicon Valley, he bought a report writing system out of “Canada.” Yes, Canada!!!!!!  One that fails everyday and when it was purchased, he did not purchase the entire functioning system.  Now I say he, but obviously he personally did not buy, but he was in favor of it and pushed heavily for its implementation even when many people objected to its purchase.  As COP it is his job to buy the best equipment available for his troops.  Well, he failed here.

    4) The curb sitting mess.  The IPA, his friend, comes up with her own curb sitting term and feels it is racially based.  Out of the thousands of pedestrians and vehicle stops, maybe 20 of those were “curb sat.”  Curb sitting is done primarily for officer safety reasons and also for the safety of the individuals stopped and the general public.  Curb sitting, as the IPA, describes it, is done all over the country.  Somehow she has to justify her position so she creates the term curb sitting and claims it is racially based.  Rather than stand up to the IPA and point out her mistake, Moore bends over for her and subjects his troops to more ( pun intended ) scrutiny.The memo, came out on his “last day” as COP.  It’s no secret.  The Mercury News was wrong in its previous articles when it stated Moore implemented it a few days before he left. 

    5) Damage…..the pure damage of moral, reputation, and lack of hope he left behind is incomprehensible.  Moore left the department in worse shape than when he became chief. 

    As a COP Moore was a complete failure.  As a person who was looking out for his own interest and future, he was the perfect manipulator.  Again, look at where he ended up.

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