BY BRADEN CARTWRIGHT
Daily Post Staff Writer
The face of the Mountain View Police Department, who worked President Biden’s inauguration and was celebrated as one of the best police representatives in the nation, has been paid to leave her job and end an investigation into her employment, public records show.
Spokeswoman Katie Nelson was employed by the police since December 2015 as social media and public relations coordinator, handling questions from reporters and representing the department at events.
Nelson and City Manager Kimbra McCarthy signed a settlement agreement on May 17, ending a personnel investigation related to Nelson, the settlement agreement said.
Nelson told Chief Mike Canfield she was resigning that afternoon, emails show.
The city hired attorney Karen Kramer to investigate Nelson on June 9, 2023, according to a copy of a contract provided by the city. That’s two days after Canfield was announced as new chief, and two weeks before he officially started the job.
Kramer, who specializes in workplace investigations, billed the city $2,227 on April 4, invoices show.
As part of the settlement, Mountain View paid Nelson $29,519 to cash out her sick leave and $5,530 for unused vacation time, city spokeswoman Lenka Wright said.
Non-disparagement clause
Both Nelson and the city agreed not to disparage each other and not to sue each other.
The city provided Nelson’s settlement agreement and resignation email on Wednesday after a California Public Records act by the Post.
“Employer shall terminate and close without findings the personnel investigation related to employee,” the agreement said, without getting into details about what the investigation was about.
Nelson married Sgt. David Fisher in Maui in January, according to their engagement website.
Fisher has worked as a Mountain View police officer since 2005.
Nelson now works for Julie Parker Communications, a firm that trains governments and companies on how to “combat negative press, control the narrative and learn to navigate negative media.”
A former reporter for the Mercury News, Nelson started a podcast with Mountain View Capt. Saul Jaeger and trained other departments on interacting with the public. Nelson was on her way to forming a “content creation team,” where officers would become social media influencers.
Nelson received an award of distinction in 2020 from the California Peace Officers’ Association and was the chair for public information officers for the International Association of Chiefs of Police.
One of the best
The association recognized Nelson in September 2021 on its “40 Under 40” list for young law enforcement professionals.
“Nelson has quickly risen to be considered one of the best police information officers in the United States,” the association said on its website.
Nelson had a close relationship with former Chief Chris Hsiung, who retired from Mountain View in February 2023 to become the second in command at the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office. Hsiung left his job with the sheriff last month to work for a nonprofit.
Nelson called Hsiung her “work dad” when she wished him a happy birthday on social media.
“Here’s the kind of man he is: He brings me cheese. He buys me coffee. He keeps me grounded. He supports me always,” she wrote.
Nelson traveled to the U.S. Capitol for Biden’s inauguration in January 2021. She posted photos and dispatches from her visit, taking photos with D.C. police and snapping pictures of President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris as they walked in their ceremony.
‘Content creation team’
Nelson had been working on forming a “content creation team” in Mountain View for officers to make videos and post on social media.
“Those selected will be given in depth training on social media best practices, including photography and videography, content trends by platform, and will be given real-time content creation training,” Canfield said in a department-wide email.
Nelson made $232,964 in total pay and benefits in 2022, the most recent year with data from Transparent California.
Mountain View was one of the only cities in the area with a full-time spokesperson for its police department.
Other cities have lieutenants, records clerks or a city representative handle public relations.
Canfield said in an email on Wednesday that the city intends on filling Nelson’s position. Capt. Scott Nelson and Capt. Saul Jaeger have been answering questions about crimes since Nelson left.