Police politics
SFPD leadership and autonomy hinges on this fall's election.

By Savannah Blackwell

Lurking behind the high-profile races for mayor and district attorney are decisions about who will run the beleaguered San Francisco Police Department and whether it can be reformed in the wake of the so-called Fajitagate scandal that tarnished retiring chief Earl Sanders and current acting chief Alex Fagan Sr.

Much will be determined by whether voters approve Proposition H, the police reform measure spawned by the scandal. Although the influential Democratic County Central Committee voted Aug. 13 to take no position on the measure, it's polling so high that even district attorney candidate Kamala Harris, who has ties to Sanders, has come out in favor of it.

Powerhouse political consultant Jack Davis told the Bay Guardian he's inclined to support the initiative and help organizers raise funds to push it through. He's not thrilled with the plan to let the Board of Supervisors appoint members of the Police Commission, but he likes the part that gives the Office of Citizen Complaints the power to take problems with cops directly to the commission and bypass the chief.

"It's just not fair [the way it is now]," Davis told us.

So cop reform is in, while the cop most closely associated with charges of corruption in the department appears to be on his way out. Readers of the San Francisco Chronicle might have been puzzled when mayoral front-runner Gavin Newsom recently changed his position and called for Fagan Sr.'s removal.

Newsom is generally friendly with the embattled officer and had been careful not to criticize him throughout the scandal. But on Aug. 12, Newsom was quoted in the Chronicle saying Fagan should not continue to serve as chief. There may be more to that bit of news than simply an epiphany on Newsom's part. His campaign manager, Eric Jaye, also happens to be the political consultant to the cops' union, the Police Officers Association (which, not surprisingly, is dead set against Prop. H). Jaye took in nearly $175,000 working for the POA to help get last November's initiative ensuring cop retirement benefits passed.

Newsom's flip got the rumor mill churning about his motives, and the most intriguing bit of gossip to come our way was that Jaye had convinced Newsom to tag POA head Chris Cunnie for the top cop job come January. In a spirited telephone interview with us, Jaye angrily denied the rumor and said the POA and Cunnie are standing strong with Fagan.

Either way, it seems Fagan's days are numbered, so the buzz centers on who will take his place. Deputy chief Mindy Pengel, an out lesbian, is making calls seeking the post and has the support of some key queer leaders. And sources say Chinatown heavy Rose Pak is pushing for deputy chief Heather Fong to get the gig.

At the same time mayoral candidate Matt Gonzalez has refused to go along with those who want Fagan out of office. Of all the mayoral candidates, he's the only one who said there's no point in dismissing Fagan before a new mayor appoints a chief in January.

The way he sees it, firing off on Fagan is the easy, politically expedient route right now, and a sophisticated voter would see Newsom's move as transparent and opportunistic. And that's not the sort of activity that interests Gonzalez.

"Gonzalez working with Fagan [on the police reform legislation], he probably found the guy to be straightforward," one longtime San Francisco consultant told us. "[Fellow candidates Angela Alioto and Tom Ammiano] will try to use it against him, but I think it demonstrates a certain fair-mindedness."

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