Thomas J. Cahill

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Thomas J. Cahill (June 8, 1910 – October 12, 2002) was the chief of police in San Francisco from 1958 to 1970, the longest serving chief in the city’s history. He served under mayors George Christopher, John F. Shelley, and Joseph Alioto.

Cahill was born in Chicago and moved with his family to Ireland as a child before returning to San Francisco in 1930. He studied in Ireland and earned a Gaelic language award, then, after moving back to San Francisco at 19, worked various jobs before joining the police in 1942. He graduated from the police academy in July 1942 and started as a beat patrolman at the Potrero station.

He moved up through the ranks: Accident Investigation Bureau (1943), Bureau of Inspectors (1946), and Homicide Detail (1947). His partner in homicide was Inspector Francis J. Ahern. When Ahern was promoted to chief in 1958, Cahill became deputy chief. Cahill was named chief on September 5, 1958, after Ahern died of a heart attack on September 1.

As chief, Cahill emphasized strict discipline, efficiency, and a focus on justice. Mayor George Christopher praised his appointment. During the late 1960s, Cahill clashed with Mayor John F. Shelley over how to handle the hippie movement in San Francisco. Cahill asked Governor Ronald Reagan to send the California Highway Patrol and National Guard to clear the city, but Shelley refused to sign the request.

Cahill gained national attention. In 1965, President Lyndon Johnson selected him for the President’s Commission on Law Enforcement. FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover called him the best public administrator in the country. He also appeared on Meet the Press on February 19, 1967.

He retired from the police on February 4, 1970, at Mayor Alioto’s request. Alfred Nelder succeeded him as chief. Cahill later served as security chief for Pac Bell in San Francisco until 1975 and joined the San Francisco Charter Revision Committee. In 1994, San Francisco renamed the Hall of Justice the Thomas J. Cahill Hall of Justice in his honor. He had married Margaret Smythe in 1938 and, in 2000, his third wife Elizabeth Wright. He died of congestive heart failure on October 12, 2002, at age 92 in Clearlake Park, California. He was survived by his wife Elizabeth, four children, and several grandchildren.