Apparently upset that details from a Department of Justice review of the SFPD had been leaked to the press ahead of its official release date, interim SFPD Chief Toney Chaplin allegedly told his command that whoever was responsible for the leak had 24 hours to confess or that he would launch an internal investigation into the matter. So reports the Examiner, which notes that details of the threat itself were then leaked to the paper.
The Department of Justice review at the heart of the matter was requested by city officials, and recommended 272 changes be made within the SFPD. However, the report was conducted by the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, and its recommendations were non-binding.
The report was officially released on October 12, but the fact that details regarding its content got out earlier clearly bothered Chaplin. He allegedly told 40 captains, commanders, and various deputy chiefs that at least one of them needed to fess up to speaking with a reporter. It is not known if the person who leaked the report ultimately admitted to doing so, or whether or not Chaplin followed through on his threat and launched the investigation.
At least one former SFPD Chief that spoke with the paper expressed his surprise at news of Chaplin's alleged threat. “I never made threats like, ‘I’m gonna get you,’ ” former Police Chief Anthony Ribera told the paper. “I tried not to let stuff like that upset me.”
The Mayor is presently in the process of selecting a permanent police chief, and Chaplin was one of the 61 people who applied for the job.
Related: Police Commission Releases Some Info On SFPD Chief Applicants