Arizona Police Chief Is New SF Police Chief

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.