Changes designed to streamline ranks, boost morale, image
By Jaxon Van Derbeken, The San Francisco Chronicle
Acting San Francisco Police Chief Heather Fong reshuffled the department’s top brass Thursday in a move intended to restore the agency’s image and morale while streamlining the top ranks.
Under the reorganization, Fong will eliminate the assistant chief’s position -- which she occupied before Mayor Gavin Newsom made her acting chief last month -- and two of the department’s five commander spots.
She demoted two of the four deputy police chiefs, including David Robinson, who was among seven police supervisors who were briefly indicted last year on charges they conspired to block the investigation into an alleged street assault by three off-duty officers. Fong replaced him as deputy in charge of administrative functions with Capt. Antonio Parra.
Robinson’s fate is unclear. He oversaw investigations under Chief Earl Sanders, once ran the homicide unit and had close ties to former Mayor Willie Brown, who promoted him to deputy chief in 2002. He is expected to retire, but Fong would not say where he might be posted if he remained.
Lt. Morris Tabak, now in charge of special investigations, will be promoted to deputy chief and assume command of the investigations bureau from Rick Bruce.
Bruce is being investigated by the state attorney general’s office for allegedly voting in San Francisco while living in San Bruno. However, he also championed reforms in the inspectors bureau to help improve its record at clearing crimes.
Bruce has said he wants to be posted to the department’s Bayview neighborhood station, but that decision won’t be announced until next week.
“I’m looking forward to getting back to the street,” Bruce said. Robinson could not be reached for comment.
In all, six current command staff members will either be forced into retirement or be demoted to their previous rank. Fong said the changes amounted to “needed improvements and reforms” and would create “greater effectiveness and accountability.”
The moves were the first ones Fong has made to try to deal with the fallout from more than a year of turmoil in the department, starting with a November 2002 incident on Union Street that eventually led to assault charges against three officers. Two of the officers, including the son of then- Assistant Chief Alex Fagan Sr., have since left the force, as has Fagan himself after a 10-month stint as chief.
Newsom stood by Fong as she announced the changes at a City Hall press conference and said she had free reign to run the department as she saw fit, even as he conducts a national search for a new chief. The mayor has said Fong is a candidate for the job.
He praised Fong for her moves, saying, “I asked for change, I campaigned on change, and I want to see change delivered.”
Newsom said some of the people Fong promoted had been doing “great work under the radar screen” and were now coming to the fore to lead the department.
Under the reorganization, two deputy chiefs will remain in their positions. Mindy Pengel will continue to oversee police operations at the airport, and Greg Suhr -- another of those indicted and later cleared in connection with the Union Street assault investigation -- will remain in charge of patrol.
Answering to Suhr as commanders will be now-Capts. Mike Puccinelli, formerly of the Bayview station, and David Shinn, who had been in charge of the Tenderloin station.
Fong removed commanders Richard Hom, Robert Puts, Kathryn Brown and James Dudley from the brass. She eliminated Brown’s job in administration and Hom’s job as commander over special operations and security.
Commander Sylvia Harper moves from the airport to parking and traffic, replacing Barbara Davis, and Sam Craig, a lieutenant at the airport, will take Harper’s job.
The ousted commanders can either retire at their current ranks or revert to their former ranks. Hom, Brown and Dudley were captains, and Puts was a lieutenant.
As for her decision to eliminate the assistant chief spot, Fong had little choice. Fagan is taking home the allotted assistant chief’s salary, although he is now assigned to the city’s Office of Emergency Services. Fong said Thursday that the department had done without the post in the past and could easily do so again.
Suhr’s reappointment over patrol drew fire from activists, who said his history, including the current investigation by the Office of Citizen Complaints into his role in the handling of the Union Street case, made him a liability.
The leader of Bay Area PoliceWatch, which advocates on behalf alleged victims of police brutality, said keeping Suhr in charge sent the wrong message for a department trying to change its image.
“That is a clear indication to me that there is going to a problem in (Fong’s) creating effective change in the Police Department,” said Malaika Parker, the group’s executive director. “I think it’s also an indicator that this is going to be business usual, more lip service and little action in the Police Department.”
Fong stressed that Suhr would be given new direction under her administration.
“Deputy Chief Suhr is a very capable member of the department,” she said. “He has demonstrated he ability to run field operations. There is now a very clear direction as to the changes we need.”