California police chief probed for sleeping at station while living 600 miles away

A Bay Area police chief is under scrutiny after reportedly setting up a bed in his police station and living there during the week while maintaining a permanent home more than 600 miles away in Idaho.

Eamonn Allen, chief of police in Millbrae — a city about 15 miles south of San Francisco — is the subject of a formal complaint filed by the city manager with the county attorney’s office.

The complaint followed a KGO-TV investigation that revealed two bedrooms had been added to the Millbrae Police Station after Allen assumed the role of chief sometime before the summer of 2024. Property records reviewed by the outlet showed that Allen purchased a home near Boise, Idaho, in June 2023.

When asked by reporters whether he currently resides in Idaho, Allen declined to comment.

Allen set up a bed in his local station where he slept during the week before returning to his home in Idaho more than 600 miles away on the weekend. — Allen allegedly set up a bed in his local station where he slept during the week before returning to his home in Idaho more than 600 miles away on the weekend.

The formal complaint alleges that Allen “used the police station as bedroom facilities” even though he “now resides in the Boise, Idaho area.” Millbrae’s Code of Ethics explicitly prohibits public employees from using city-owned property “for personal need, convenience or profit.”

San Mateo County Board of Supervisors President David Canepa said the issue raises serious concerns about the use of taxpayer resources.

“If someone is living out of county or out of state, they have to pay for their own lodging,” Canepa told the local ABC affiliate. “San Mateo County is not a Holiday Inn. We need to know whether someone was living there permanently.”

Another photo shows Allen's living space inside the Millbrae police station. — Another photo shows Allen’s reported living space inside the Millbrae police station.

“These are taxpayer dollars,” he added. “We have to ensure those facilities are used for the public good — not as personal living quarters.”

Canepa noted that while officers working late shifts are occasionally permitted to rest at the station before court appearances, such cases are rare and temporary.

Law enforcement experts also questioned the practicality of a police chief living so far from the community he serves. Richard Corriea, a former San Francisco Police Department commander, told KGO-TV that the situation was “ridiculous,” emphasizing that a chief must be available to respond quickly in emergencies such as major crimes, earthquakes, or other disasters.

An examination of property records found that Allen bought a home just outside Boise, Idaho in June of last year. Millbrae is more than 600 miles away. — An examination of property records found that Allen bought a home just outside Boise, Idaho, in June of last year.

“You want a police chief who is a stakeholder in the community — someone who experiences it daily and can respond on short notice,” Corriea said.

KGO-TV’s investigation also found that at least six sergeants with the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office live outside California — in Idaho, Nevada, Texas, and Tennessee. Two of those sergeants serve on the bomb squad, where total compensation packages reportedly approach $600,000 a year.

The Millbrae Police Department and the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office have not yet commented on the allegations.

Original Source