Criminal Investigation – Hayward Police Officer Benjamin Yarbrough Statement from Hayward Police Chief Bryan Matthews

In late July 2025, the Hayward Police Department was made aware of a criminal investigation being conducted by the San Jose Police Department, which implicated a member of our organization. San Jose Police Department investigators advised us of potential criminal conduct on the part of Hayward Police Officer Benjamin Yarbrough and their investigation involved an illegal brothel. After learning this information, and because of my familial relationship with Officer Yarbrough, I immediately contacted Alameda County District Attorney Ursula Jones Dickson and requested her office conduct the criminal investigation into Officer Yarbrough's conduct. The Alameda County District Attorney's Office assumed the criminal investigation and has been the lead investigative agency into Officer Yarbrough's conduct since that time.

The Hayward Police Department has fully cooperated with the Alameda County District Attorney's Office throughout this investigation, and we remain committed to transparency with our community.

The following actions were taken and two separate, but related, investigations were immediately initiated following the notification from the San Jose Police Department:

1. Officer Yarbrough was placed on paid administrative leave pending the outcomes of these investigations.
2. The Alameda County District Attorney's Office is investigating the allegations of criminal conduct by Officer Yarbrough.
3. Simultaneously, the Hayward Police Department's Internal Affairs Unit is conducting an administrative investigation into potential policy violations by Officer Yarbrough.

As police officers, we are held to a higher standard and the allegations in this case, if proven to be true, strike at the core of who we are as a profession. They are not representative of the dedicated, professional men and women of the Hayward Police Department or the policing profession. As Chief, I want to assure our community that we take all allegations of misconduct, including allegations of criminal conduct, very seriously and any criminal conduct on the part of any Hayward Police Department employee will not be tolerated regardless of any personal relationships that may exist. Any Hayward Police Department employee who is found to have engaged in criminal conduct will be held accountable within the boundaries of the law and department policy.

I want to personally thank the staff from the San Jose Police Department, Hayward Police Department, and Alameda County District Attorney's Office for their professionalism and dedication to pursuing accountability in this case.

Thank you.