Palm Springs Deputy Police Chief Kyle Stjerne was selected as the city’s next police chief and will take over the department Sept. 6 following the retirement of Chief Andy Mills, officials announced Monday.
“To be entrusted with leading the Palm Springs Police Department as the next Chief of Police is the profound honor of my professional life,” Stjerne said. “I am deeply grateful to the City Manager, Mayor, City Council, City Staff, the extraordinary men and women of this incredible public safety organization, and the greater Palm Springs community for their confidence in me.”
Mills will retire Sept. 5 after 48 years in law enforcement. He and his wife, Cathy, plan to move to the Sacramento area to be closer to his mother and support her, officials said.
Stjerne joined the Palm Springs Police Department in 2002 as an officer and rose through the ranks to deputy chief. He currently oversees the department’s day-to-day operations and its $46 million budget.
He holds a bachelor’s degree in sociology with an emphasis on social problems from San Diego State University and a Certificate in Management Essentials from Harvard Business School Online. He graduated from the Senior Management Institute for Police in Boston in 2024.
City officials said Stjerne is a member of the Riverside County Law Enforcement Administrators Association, the Police Executive Research Forum and the International Association of Chiefs of Police.
“Over the last four weeks, I have carefully reviews the 1,300 responses Palm Springs residents contributed to our Police Chief community survey, and there is no doubt in my mind that Deputy Chief Stjerne exemplifies the leadership qualities our residents and City Council are seeking,” City Manager Scott Stiles said.