Mayor Ed Lee swore in Greg Suhr, 52, as San Francisco's newest chief of police this morning. A 30-year-veteran of the SPFD, Suhr is known best for dramatically reducing homicide rates in Bayview where he served as captain since 2009. "Suhr’s experience and keen knowledge of The City’s workings finally won over Mayor Ed Lee, who decided that a popular insider was the best choice for The City after a tumultous transition that had elevated a relative newcomer, Jeff Godown, to the interim chief’s post," reports the Chronicle.
As CBS 5 points out, Suhr's road to the top hasn't been a smooth one. "In 2003, Suhr was charged with conspiracy to obstruct justice in the notorious 'Fajitagate' scandal, when three off-duty officers were accused of beating up two men over a bag of fajitas." Suhr was later cleared of any mischief.
Further, he was stripped of his Head of Patrol gig by former Chief Fong in 2005 after an officer was beaten and suffered a fractured skull responding to a protest. Suhr was later reassigned to man security for the city’s Public Utilities Commission. Which, if SFPD were a Hollywood movie, would be like being assigned to paperwork. We guess? Anyway.
San Francisco Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi has hope for the new chief, telling ABC 7: "The Police Commission with the mayor vetted that, and I'm sure thoroughly. I also believe in the power of redemption when somebody has been such a long time public servant and I think that Greg Suhr has proved himself over the years as well as any of those kind of transgressions and I think he'll be a solid police chief."
Suhr replaces Interim Chief Jeff Godown, who controlled SFPD since January after former Chief George Gascon was appointed District Attorney by former Mayor Gavin Newsom.