Dragging someone new into the force, Mayor Gavin Newsom went all the way to Phoenix, Arizona to get our new chief of police. The dramatically accent-marked George Gascón, who was the police chief of Mesa, will replace retiring Heather Fong. Defending his decision to go outside the police force to find a new top cop, Mayor Newsom told SF Chron, "I know going outside is a risk ... But he is a nuts-and-bolts-type of chief, a cop's cop and very active in community policing." A few of the goals Newsom has in store for the new chief? Using some sort of computerized high-tech super system for "spotting crime trends," increasing "the crime clearance rate," and bolstering the "morale of rank-and-file officers."

Also, according to hgis bio, "Gascón received a B.A. degree in History from California State University, Long Beach, and a Juris Doctor Degree from Western State University, College of Law," and is an active member of the California Bar Association.

Gascón will start off making $292,000 year, when he starts his new job in a month or two.