Michael Ishii worked for the Hawthorne Police Department from 1990-2022, the last four as the Chief. He worked various assignments during his career, including Motor Officer, Traffic Investigator, Field Training Officer, Internal Affairs Sergeant, Public Information Officer, Patrol Bureau Watch Commander, and Detective Bureau Commander. He was promoted to Captain in 2010 and oversaw the Administration and Operations Divisions of the Police Department along with the City’s Information Technology Services Bureau.

During his tenure as Chief, Chief Ishii helped transform the department into a community policing-driven culture that prioritized creating an organizational culture focused on employee empowerment, wellness, and innovating community policing programs. He implemented the Hawthorne Safe Initiative, a policing strategy that provided safety and engagement in five key areas: Parks, Schools, Traffic, Neighborhoods, and Businesses. He also created the Care for Blue Initiative that focused on Officer wellness in mental care, career mentoring, finance, and health.

Under Chief Ishii's leadership, significant cultural changes took place, particularly in the field of medical care provided by first responders. He hired the region's first and only full-time Medical Director responsible for overseeing the Paramedic, EMT, and Tactical Medicine programs. By the end of 2022, the Hawthorne Police Department had six fully trained paramedics and over 25 officers certified as Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs).

In 2011, Chief Ishii was part of the team that helped create the national Coffee with a Cop program, which has gone on to become one of the most successful national community policing programs with events held in all 50 States, 41 countries, and in 9 languages. He also developed the National Coffee with a Cop website and started the National Coffee with a Cop Day (held annually nationwide on the 1st Wednesday of October). Chief Ishii continues to oversee the Coffee with a Cop non-profit organization as the Program Manager and CEO.

Chief Ishii holds a MA in Negotiation, Conflict/Management from California State University Dominguez Hills, as well as a BA in Communication Studies - Interpersonal and Organizational Communication from California State University Long Beach. He was born in Japan and grew up on a US military base near Tokyo and is fluent in Japanese.