Bradshaw—who's been re- tired for four years—said that the decision came down to a difference in managerial styles between him and City Manager Amy Chan.

"It just isn't a good match," Bradshaw said.

Adding to his decision is the fact that he lives in Reno, Nev. and has been away from his family while living temporarily in Sunnyvale. Every other weekend, his wife drives down here to be with him, and he drives back to Reno on the other weekends.

Bradshaw says he intends to get back to the private life he was leading before taking the Sunnyvale position, which will include some stock-market investing and many hours of fly-fishing on the Truckee River.

Bradshaw said no one has yet been appointed to fill the space while the city searches for a permanent chief. He will appoint someone from within the department if no one is found before he leaves.

Communications Officer John Pilger said the search for a new chief—that began when Bakin retired—is still going, and he's confident that the department will survive during the search. Standard procedure dictates that one of the department's half-dozen captains will step in temporarily if someone is needed.