The Chronicles Of Aspirations:
Daniel Hahn

Summer of 2020

Daniel Hahn, Chief of Police of the City of Sacramento.
(Photograph provided courtesy of the City of Sacramento.)

Daniel Hahn, the Chief of Police of the City of Sacramento, is a product of his family, his neighborhood, and his city.  He and his wife have two daughters.  He stated that “My mom and dad gave me all the hope.  I know that together, we build for a future.”

Daniel Hahn was born at Mercy Hospital in Sacramento in 1968.  His biological parents were an unmarried interracial couple.  His biological mother was a White woman from Humboldt County in northern California.  His biological father was a Black man from Shreveport, Louisiana, who had moved to West Oakland, California, as a teenager.  The two met while students at Humboldt State University.

He was put up for adoption, and at the age of three months, Daniel Hahn was adopted by Kenneth and Mary Jean Hahn, a White couple with two biological children in Sacramento.  Kenneth Hahn had grown up in Hamlet, Nebraska;  Mary Jean (Behr) Hahn was born in Willmar, Minnesota, and raised on a farm in Paynesville, Minnesota.  Kenneth Hahn died when Daniel Hahn was about five years of age.  Mary Jean Hahn later remarried.  Her new husband, Glenn Castle, Jr. – the stepdad of Daniel Hahn – died when Daniel Hahn was about sixteen years of age.  Mary Jean Hahn died at the age of almost 79 years in 2018.

The birth of Lawrence Warmsley, the little boy that grew up as “Daniel Hahn,” possibly created a problem for the family of his biological mother.  “Years after my birth, my mom (Mary Jean Hahn) attempted to talk with my biological grandparents on my biological mother’s side of the family,” explained Chief Hahn.  “While there’s no way to know for sure, my mom explained that the family of my biological mother wanted nothing to do with a colored child – me.  My mom told me that the parents of my mother closed the door in her face when she attempted to meet with them at their home.”

“My relationship with my biological father, Lawrence Warmsley, and his family has been good through the years,” noted Chief Hahn.  “The family has been very welcoming to me.”  Lawrence Warmsley died in 2006.

Daniel Hahn and his biological father, Lawrence Warmsley, in 1999.
He pinned the badge on his son upon Daniel Hahn being promoted to Sergeant in the Sacramento Police Department.
(Photograph provided courtesy of Daniel Hahn.)

The Hahn Family moved into the Oak Park neighborhood of Sacramento when Daniel Hahn was three years old.  “My mom, in particular, wanted me to grow up in a diverse neighborhood,” explained Chief Hahn.  “Oak Park had its share of problems.  Drug deals were a common sight.  The prostitution stroll was obvious.  I witnessed a murder outside of our home when I was ten years old.”

“While there may have been trauma outside, the inside of our home was very stable, very supportive,” Chief Hahn continued.  “My childhood was awesome.”

Daniel Hahn grew up with four siblings:  Timothy Hahn, Martha Hahn, Chris Castle, and Rene Castle.  “There were many opportunities for children in Oak Park,” stated Chief Hahn.  “All the neighbors knew each other and looked out for one another.”  He noted basketball games at the local park, playing football in the street, and riding his bike through the neighborhood.

There were times, though, when things were not so wonderful in the Hahn home.  On one occasion, Daniel Hahn was acting up;  he got angry.  His mom told him to settle down or she would call the police.  He didn’t, so she called the police.  Daniel Hahn ended up getting arrested by the police for allegedly assaulting a police officer.  The charges were dropped, but the impact was one of those moments in the young life of Daniel Hahn that helped him put life into perspective.

As a teenager, he initially wanted to be an auto mechanic.  Then a construction worker.  By graduation time at high school, Daniel Hahn had decided he wanted to be a business owner and a school teacher.

In his effort to get the needed education, Daniel Hahn enrolled in Sacramento City College.  While there, a friend talked him into taking a criminal justice course.  “I needed an elective course,” stated Chief Hahn.  “I was taking a heavy load of other classes and I wanted an elective course that I thought would be easy to pass.”  The criminal justice class fit the bill.

“Recruiters would come to the class to encourage us to apply to become police officers,” stated Chief Hahn.  “I returned the paperwork – uncompleted – at least three times.  I was not interested in being a cop at that time.”

But then he considered the possibilities.

He was earning $3.00 and something per hour stocking shelves at a local store.  “The police department was paying $8.14 per hour,” according to Chief Hahn.  “I decided joining the police department made financial sense.”

He was eighteen years old at the time.  He graduated the police academy at the age of nineteen years, but couldn’t be a police officer until he was twenty-one years of age;  he would then earn $14.00 per hour as a full-fledged cop.  In the interim, starting in 1987, he worked as a Community Services Officer.

After two years at Sacramento City College, Daniel Hahn enrolled at the California State University, Sacramento – known locally as “Sacramento State University.”  “I’d take classes from about 7:30 AM to 11:00 AM each day,” detailed Chief Hahn.  “I’d then work out at the gym and then work the swing-shift as a Community Services Officer from 3:00 PM to 11:00 PM.”

At about the time he graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Sacramento State University in 1995, Daniel Hahn had decided that he wanted law enforcement to be his career.

“I realized that I could reach some of my aspirations as a police officer,” Chief Hahn stated.  “I could teach.  I could do long-term problem-solving.”

As a police officer, he’d see his share of joys and difficulties.  One of the most tragic situations he faced occurred one night when he heard a call over the police radio.  With a heavy heart, he headed to the location.  His fears were confirmed.  One of his brothers, Chris Castle, had been murdered.  Daniel Hahn provided the identification to the responding police officers.

He was able to teach criminal justice to students at Grant High School.  Through his career, he participated in many community functions.  He continued his own education, earning a Master in Public Administration degree from National University in 2001.

Initially, Daniel Hahn was comfortable being a police officer.  Some others in the department, though, saw potential in the young man.  They encouraged him to take the promotional tests to advance in the ranks.

“To get them off my back, I took the first test,” Chief Hahn stated.  “I studied a lot because I didn’t want to be last on the list and disrespect my last name.  I wanted to succeed.”

He succeeded and got successive promotions.

Until he hit a brick wall.

“In 2011, I was told that I would no longer get promoted within the Sacramento Police Department,” Chief Hahn stated.  “I was angry.”

There’s an old saying that when one door closes, another opens.

Within a week of being told that, in essence, there was no future for Daniel Hahn at the Sacramento Police Department, a nearby community called.

The City of Roseville – located in neighboring Placer County – was looking for a police chief.  The leadership in Roseville wanted that police chief to be Daniel Hahn.

While there was just a short distance between Sacramento and Roseville, the two municipalities were worlds apart.

“I asked how many Black police officers worked for the Roseville Police Department,” explained Chief Hahn.  “I was told that I would be the first.  Not just the first Black police chief, but the first Black police officer.”

He declined the job offer a few times, but others encouraged him to take the opportunity.  He eventually agreed with that sentiment.  That Roseville would be a great place to work.

One door had been slammed shut.  Another door opened with a “Welcome” sign.

He served as the Police Chief of Roseville for six years from 2011 to 2017.

The Hahn Family in a relaxing moment in 2019.  Katrina and Daniel Hahn are proud parents of Faith and Francesca Hahn.
Pictured in this photo, from left, are Faith Hahn, Daniel Hahn, Katrina Hahn, and Francesca Hahn.
(Photograph provided courtesy of Daniel Hahn.)

In 2017, the leadership of the City of Sacramento asked him to return to serve the citizens of California’s state capital.  This time, though, not as a police officer or as a Captain.

The City of Sacramento wanted Daniel Hahn to be its Chief of Police.

“My goal with this search has always been to appoint an experienced, dynamic, and energetic professional to lead our organization,” said City Manager Howard Chan in a news release issued by the City of Sacramento announcing the decision to hire Daniel Hahn as its new Chief of Police in 2017.  “Not only does Daniel Hahn have a breadth of experience in law enforcement, he is well respected within the Sacramento Police Department and the community.  I’m thrilled to be welcoming him back to lead one of the nation’s finest departments.”

On August 11, 2017, Daniel Hahn was sworn in as the 45th police chief of the City of Sacramento.  And, yes, he happened to be the first Black police chief in this city as well.

Two photos of the ceremony at California State University, Sacramento, where Daniel Hahn was
sworn in as the 45th Chief of Police of the City of Sacramento on August 11, 2017.  In the photo
to the left, Katrina Hahn, wife of Chief Hahn;  Faith Hahn, daughter of Katrina and Daniel Hahn; 
Chief Hahn;  and Mary Jean Hahn, mother of Daniel Hahn, are seen left to right.  In the photo to
the right, Francesca Hahn, daughter of Katrina and Daniel Hahn, pins the badge on Chief Hahn.
(Photographs provided courtesy of Daniel Hahn.)

With that leadership mantle has come the responsibilities to help enhance life for all in Sacramento.

He’s strived to educate people about the realities of being Black in an age when information can travel through social media quicker than it can be verified for accuracy.  In a time when some believe body cameras by themselves are an answer to stopping violent encounters.

For Daniel Hahn, the answers to some of our most intractable problems as a nation – problems that revolve around race – will require education and policy changes that, thus far, our nation has not implemented.

“When I see protests today, I’m reminded that these are the same protests that have occurred many times in years past,” stated Chief Hahn.  “We just never seem to find permanent resolutions to our problems.”

Chief Hahn noted that as a student, he learned much about the Nazis and what they did in Germany and throughout Europe.  The discrimination.  The diminishment of liberty.  The mass murders.

He noted that he, like most Americans, were never taught the full history of our own country.

“When I tell people that there were sundown cities here in northern California in the 1960s, they are astonished,” Chief Hahn stated.  “They cannot image that such places existed so recently in our state.”

Sundown cities were communities that mandated Black people – and others deemed locally to be “less than” – be out of their communities by dusk each night.  Some of these regulations were actual laws;  others were “tradition.”  Whether actual law or “tradition,” the implementation of these rules was generally administered by law enforcement officials.

Sometimes, the concept was not simply to keep the “less than” out at night.  In some communities, the goal was to keep the “less than” out completely.

Bigots don’t discriminate.

An example:  In Humboldt County, in northern California, Chinese and Chinese-American individuals and families were the targets of expulsion.  According to the United States National Park Service, on February 6, 1885, the White residents of Eureka and other communities in Humboldt County forcibly “removed” all of the residents with Chinese ancestry – 310 people – from their county.  These residents had 48 hours to gather any of their possessions they could and were then put on two ships, according to the National Park Service, and sent to San Francisco.  When the people expelled from Humboldt County attempted to use the legal system to get compensation for their losses, they were denied justice.  No compensation was provided to these individuals and families, according to the National Park Service.  The expulsions were not limited to one county in California;  other communities did the same.  Beyond direct, forcible expulsions, other techniques were used, according to the National Park Service, to “encourage” people to leave their homes.  Suspicious fires hit properties owned by Chinese-Americans in Chico, Fresno, San Jose, and other communities in California, stated the National Park Service.

Chief Hahn noted that African-Americans have been dealing with similar types of activities for 400 years in the United States.

“Power is most intoxicating,” stated Chief Hahn.  “Relinquishing power will be fought.  While I don’t agree with all of the changes proposed by today’s protesters, I do believe we need to have conversations about important issues.”

“We shouldn’t hide from our history as a nation,” said Chief Hahn.  He gave as an example someone needing help for a medical condition:  “You would not go to a doctor for help if they didn’t know about the disease that you had.”

Chief Hahn indicated that you need to understand the underlying aspects of life:  “Many people are raised with the idea that if you work hard, you’ll be successful.  Unfortunately, that does not apply to everyone in our society.  Reality does not always match one’s goal.  People can work very hard and yet not be able to succeed.”

He referenced a sentence spoken by The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  According to the Congressional Record of April 9, 1968, The Rev. King delivered the following words at the National Cathedral in Washington, DC, on March 31, 1968:

“It’s all right to tell a man to lift himself
by his own bootstraps, but it is a cruel
jest to say to a bootless man that he
ought to lift himself by his own bootstraps.”

“If we don’t solve problems in our society, we’ll continue to have problems,” stated Chief Hahn.  “Our political leaders throughout the country look for quick fixes, but it takes time to make the changes necessary.  Few are willing to invest that time.”

Chief Hahn noted that one of the key reasons why a police-involved death is different from any other loss of life is that such deaths involves the rights and responsibilities accorded to law enforcement in the United States.

“Police officers and other law enforcement officials are different from almost everyone else in our nation,” explained Chief Hahn.  “Police officers can take your freedom.  Police officers can use deadly force in certain circumstances and kill you.  People in no other occupation are able to do such things.”

Darrell Steinberg, Mayor of the City of Sacramento, left in the foreground, and Daniel Hahn, Chief of Police of
the City of Sacramento, right in the foreground, were among the participants in the Solidarity March on
June 3, 2020.  Both were among a number of people kneeling during the March at the Oak Park Community
Center.  “The march was coordinated by myself and five other community leaders,” explained Chief Hahn. 
“The march went from the Oak Park Community Center to Shiloh Baptist Church (second oldest church
in Sacramento).  This was to bring all people together to say we must move forward together.”
(Photograph provided courtesy of Daniel Hahn,)

His philosophy as a police chief:  “You’ve got to be what you are when interacting with people.  You cannot fake your personality.  I was raised by my mom to treat everyone well.  I try to honor her name every time I work with people.”

Chief Hahn has encouraged people – including Black men and women – to consider law enforcement as a career opportunity.  “Many see police officers as just the people who arrest their neighbors or write tickets,” explained Chief Hahn.  “But we have upwards of thirty types of jobs within our police department.  Many of these jobs involve skills in technology.”

“External forces have their roles,” Chief Hahn noted.  “But you can also change systems from within.”

“It’s difficult being a cop as a person of color,” stated Chief Hahn.  “Some say they want diversity within the police department, yet at many protests where we have a skirmish line, protesters will specifically target our officers of color.  Our Black officers will be called “Coon,” “Uncle Tom,” and “Sell-Out” directly to their faces.”

“Some in the Black community say you cannot be both a Black person and, at the same time, a police officer,” stated Chief Hahn.  He’s been both praised and criticized as a member of law enforcement.

Chief Hahn relayed a personal experience:  “At one protest, a woman in her forties – a Black woman who was visibly very angry – came up to me and told me that I don’t know what it’s like to be a Black man.  I looked at my arms – I was in a short-shelved shirt – and looked back at the woman.  She just walked off, seemingly embarrassed.”

The woman only saw the uniform;  she didn’t see the person wearing the uniform.

It also works in the reverse where some police officers only see color of skin and don’t see a person as an individual.

Again, some personal experiences of Chief Hahn:  “There have been times – when I’m not in uniform – where I’ve had interactions with other police officers.  The interaction or the tone of the interaction changed when they found out I was an officer or police chief.”

While there are problems in law enforcement, Chief Hahn does not agree with the concept of defunding the police.  “If there are less police officers, communities will be less safe,” stated Chief Hahn.  “This is especially true in communities in need.  This would not be acceptable.”

One policy that Chief Hahn would like to see changed involves how individuals with mental health issues are treated.  “Today, a police officer – just graduating from the police academy – has the legal right to place a person on a 72-hour mental health hold,” explained Chief Hahn.  “I believe it would be best if we had mental health professionals make those decisions.  Mental health professionals have much more training in this area and often would be more effective.  While some mental health professionals are also able to place a person on a 72-hour mental health hold, it is usually a police officer who has to make that decision.  We may arrive first.  A mental health professional may not choose or be able to place holds on their clients or people they know.  We could consider changes in procedures.  For example, having multiple mental health professionals available to make these decisions 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.  Working with others to help individuals with mental health needs may be a better use of law enforcement.”

Daniel Hahn, Chief of Police of the City of Sacramento, sees great promise as he strives to serve the people of Sacramento.  To see each other as human beings, each worthy of respect and dignity.  In his own words, “Together We Build.”

If you know of an individual with aspirations,
please contact Richard McDonough at chroniclesofaspirations@gmail.com.
Your suggestion may be used in a future news column.

© 2020 Richard McDonough