By C.W. Nevius
The San Francisco Chronicle
SAN FRANCISCO — To the surprise of no one, choosing a new police chief in San Francisco is turning contentious.
There was plenty of internal bickering when George Gascón, the first outsider to hold the post in decades, was appointed in 2009. Gascón silenced the critics with savvy public relations and innovative ideas. But now that’s he’s the district attorney, the process has begun again - with all the familiar gripes and complaints.
The issue this time is that some senior captains have been told they won’t be interviewed. They won’t speak publicly, but they are very unhappy.
Nobody likes to be told they’re out of the running for a job they covet, but this complaining isn’t helping anyone. For starters, the Police Commission, which is holding interviews today and Saturday and will be delivering three names to Mayor Ed Lee on March 15, hates this kind of stuff. In 2009 a candidate was eliminated for excessive politicking.
But with 75 applicants - remember the chief serves at the pleasure of the mayor - the commission had to narrow the field quickly.
“We can only interview so many people,” said Tom Mazzucco, president of the commission. “This isn’t a popularity contest.”
Mazzucco said the commission wants a wide range of experiences, from walking a beat, to leading an investigation, to supervising one of the stations in a tough part of town.
That sounds like Capt. Greg Suhr, a 30-year SFPD veteran. Suhr clashed with former Police Chief Heather Fong, but he’s the rank and file’s pick.
Copyright 2011 San Francisco Chronicle