David J. Hober

Board Member

Dave Hober is the Chief of Police for the Monterey Police Department (MPD), a position he has held since July 2015. Chief Hober’s role at the MPD has been the capstone of his career, allowing him to work with some of the finest police professionals in the business.  Implementations of forward thinking law enforcement processes that included: a proactive policing approach to addressing crime issues in a world-renowned destination city, creating a Multi-Disciplinary Outreach Team partnership with social workers to address quality of life issues, contemporary de-escalation processes, one hundred percent staff certification in mental health Crisis Intervention Team training, new technologies, and positive staff and community relationships define Dave’s servant-leadership acumen.

Before joining the Monterey Police Department, Chief Hober served for more than 25 years with the San Jose Police Department (SJPD). His career began in 1988, and over the years, he rose through the ranks to become Deputy Chief, where he led three of the department’s four bureaus. His final role at SJPD was overseeing the Bureau of Field Operations, which included the leadership of approximately 700 uniformed officers.

In 1996, Chief Hober took a brief hiatus from SJPD to serve as an FBI Special Agent. During his 1.5 years with the FBI, he was assigned to investigate crimes primarily on the Navajo Indian Reservation in Shiprock, New Mexico. There, he and fellow agents investigated 13 homicides, achieving a 100% clearance rate.  Dave’s proudest professional accomplishment was solving a cold case homicide on the Reservation and bringing closure to the victim’s family. 

Chief Hober is an active member of the Monterey Peninsula community, having served as President of The Rotary Club of Monterey (2024-2025) and President of the Monterey County Chief Law Enforcement Officers Association (2024). He also serves on the Monterey Peninsula College Bond Oversight Committee.

Educationally, Chief Hober holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, as well as dual graduate degrees in Public Administration and Criminal Justice Administration from San Jose State University. He has furthered his professional development, attending the Executive Leaders Program (ELP 2201) through the Naval Postgraduate School and the Senior Management Institute for Police (Class 44) through the Police Executive Research Forum.