San Francisco Citizen

What’s a matter, you don’t keep up with the Wikipedia?

“George Gascón is an American politician currently serving as the District Attorney for San Francisco He was sworn in on January 9, 2011, by Mayor Gavin Newsom, succeeding Kamala Harris, who was elected California Attorney General.”

(Is Wiki updated in real time? Pretty much, apparently. It’s amazing.) Anyway, this was the scene this afternoon on the second floor of our City Hall:

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Did you see this one coming? Writer Joe Eskenazi was the first to confirm the rumors, but that was less than two hours before the ceremony began.

The mise-en-scene, complete with the two other top lawyers of official San Francisco, Dennis Herrera and Jeff Adachi, along with new Supervisors Scott Wiener,* Malia Cohen,* (icy, icy cold**) Mark Farrell,* and Jane Kim,* plus tried-and-true Supes President David Chiu and Bevan Dufty, and plus, George’s foxy blonde wife Fabiola:

“Herrera praises Gascón as a ‘stellar choice’ for District Attorney of San Francisco. City Attorney had hailed SFPD Chief as key to civil gang injunctions’ success, is certain he’ll be a continuing ally as District Attorney

SAN FRANCISCO (Jan. 9, 2011) — City Attorney Dennis Herrera today praised Mayor Gavin Newsom’s appointment of Police Chief George Gascón as District Attorney to fulfill the unexpired term of Kamala Harris, who recently vacated the office to become California’s Attorney General.

Reacting to this afternoon’s announcement in City Hall, Herrera issued the following statement:

“Police Chief George Gascón is a stellar choice for District Attorney of San Francisco. I’ve repeatedly credited his leadership as key to making our civil gang injunction program a success. I couldn’t hope for a better ally to continue Kamala Harris’s record in aggressively prosecuting gang injunction cases. I know Mayor Newsom had a very tough decision to make among a number of excellent potential successors, and he has made an experienced, top-notch pick. I look forward to working closely with our new District Attorney in the months and years to come.”

Last September, Herrera’s motion for an injunction against two warring criminal street gangs in Visitacion Valley was granted by a San Francisco Superior Court judge. The new injunction against the Down Below Gangsters and Towerside Gang represented the City’s fourth civil gang injunction, which now involve seven different criminal street gangs. Herrera’s office has worked closely with police, to compile the exhaustive evidence necessary to obtain gang injunctions, and the District Attorney’s Office, which prosecutes violations of them. Prior to the Visitacion Valley injunction in September, Herrera had secured injunctions against the Bayview Hunters Point-based Oakdale Mob in October 2006; the Mission-based Norteño gang in 2007; and the Western Addition-based Chopper City, Eddy Rock and Knock Out Posse gangs in 2007. In 2009, Herrera moved successfully to modify the Oakdale Mob injunction to add six new adult gang members to that injunction’s provisions. In all, 134 adult gang members are currently subject to San Francisco’s four injunctions. No juveniles are named in any of San Francisco’s civil gang injunctions.”

“MAYOR NEWSOM APPOINTS GEORGE GASCÓN AS DISTRICT ATTORNEY

San Francisco, CA—Mayor Gavin Newsom today appointed Police Chief George Gascón as San Francisco’s District Attorney.

“As Police Chief, George Gascón has brought continued reform and accountability to the police department, introduced innovative crime prevention strategies and helped bring violent crime in our City to historic lows,” said Mayor Newsom. “I am very proud today to appoint George Gascón as our City’s top law enforcement officer to complete the term of Kamala Harris and bring that same spirit of accountability, innovation and collaboration to the District Attorney’s office.”

“I am profoundly honored by this opportunity to serve the people of San Francisco as District Attorney,” said District Attorney Gascón. “Together, with the hardworking attorneys and professional staff of the District Attorney’s office, we will bring criminals to justice, continue the innovative efforts begun under Kamala Harris and ensure new levels of cooperation between police and prosecutors.”

Appointed as Chief of the San Francisco Police Department (SFPD) by Mayor Newsom in 2009, Gascón also holds a Juris Doctorate degree from Western State University College of Law and has been an active member of the California Bar Association since June 1996. Gascón also graduated from the FBI’s National Executive Institute, and is a member of the Harvard University Kennedy School of Government’s Executive Session on Policing and Public Safety. Gascón will be San Francisco’s first Latino District Attorney in history.

During Gascón’s tenure as Police Chief, violent crime in San Francisco has dropped to historic lows not seen since the 1960s through the strategic deployment of law enforcement resources, reform and accountability within the SFPD and increased collaboration with the City’s diverse communities to prevent crime. SFPD Assistant Chief Jeff Godown will serve as Acting Chief of Police until a new Chief is selected by the Police Commission and the interim mayor.

Gascón was appointed to the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) in April 1978. He served as an officer until 1981, when he left to pursue a career in business management while volunteering his time as a reserve officer. Gascón returned to law enforcement full-time in April 1987, and quickly moved through the LAPD ranks gaining experience in a variety of operational and management functions. Gascón served as LAPD’s Assistant Police Chief and Director over the Office of Operations in charge of patrol, detectives, aviation, special operations, and jails. For three years, Gascón was the Chief of Police for the Mesa Police Department in Arizona.

Gascón is a subject matter expert in the areas of police accountability, community policing, police training, hiring practices, management, policing immigrant communities, and use of force. He has published articles on police training, the role of local police and unauthorized immigration, COMPSTAT, and the economic cost of policing.

As San Francisco District Attorney, Gascón will be responsible for investigating and prosecuting crime in San Francisco and supporting victims of crime. With four major divisions – the Criminal Division, the Investigations Bureau, the Special Operations Division, and the Victim Services Division, the District Attorney’s Office brings actions involving consumer fraud, including real estate fraud, insurance fraud and financial fraud against elders, and actions to ensure environmental protection.”

*Wow, s/he’s intelligent. Throw in Carmen Chu* and you’ve got, by far, the most intelligentest incoming San Francisco Board of Supervisors class in 155 years or so of history. The Boardwalk Empire-types have lost and the professionals have won.

**What makes Mark Farrell a Democrat? I don’t know.*** I know what makes the others Democrats, but not him. And just how will he be able to afford to live on a five-figure salary? Once again, I don’t know. We’ll see.

***See? I told you, he was the interesting interesting candidate ****

****And BTW, did anybody else call Districts 2 and 10 the day after the election. Believe it or not, no. Last summer I was thinking the punditry was seriously underestimating both these two and, I’ve got to say, that turned out to be correct, non?