A Fijian-born 21-year veteran of the Pittsburg Police Department Captain Ron Raman has been appointed San Pablo’s new Chief of Police.

Captain Raman is the grandson of the late Fijian Police Commissioner P U Raman.

He started on Monday as the head of the Police Department of the city of a population of over 30,000 in the county of Contra Costa in California and will be sworn in on August 30.

“After an extensive and competitive executive management search, I am pleased to announce Pittsburg Police Captain Ron Raman as San Pablo’s next Chief of Police,” said San Pablo City Manager Matt Rodriguez.

Captain Raman is no stranger in the Californian county of Contra Costa having his high school education and graduating from Pinole Valley High School in 1991 which is just north of San Pablo.

A cousin and chief executive of Canadian property management firm Campbell Strata Management Sanjay Maharaj said Captain Raman had strong roots in law enforcement.

“Captain Raman was born in Fiji but migrated with his parents when they left Fiji in the late 1970s,” Mr Maharaj said.

He said Captain Raman was the grandson of the late Fiji Police Commissioner PU Raman who was the first local to be appointed as the top Police officer in the country. He passed away in Sydney two months ago.

“Ron is following in his grandfather’s footsteps and this news is also a great achievement for a Fiji born to reach a leadership role in law enforcement in the USA.”

He was selected from a field of 32 applicants, and will replace current Interim Chief of Police Walter Schuld who has been serving the City’s Police Department since March 2017.

Mr Maharaj said Captain Raman’s father is Anil Raman. His mother is Reena.

“They left Fiji when Captain Ram was five-years-old initially to Canada, but for the past 30 years they lived in California,” he said.

“Ron is the eldest of three boys and his siblings live in California as well. His dad Anil is an insurance broker and resides in Danville, California. Ron is married to Jen and they have two daughters.”

Edited by Paula Tuvuki

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