COMMUNITY SURVEY
Help Shape the Search for San Francisco’s Next Police Chief
What's Happening:
Choosing San Francisco’s next police chief may be the city’s toughest hiring decision - one that has to balance politics, public safety, and trust in a way no other job does.
The biggest challenge? Finding someone who can adapt, navigate politics, and earn credibility with both reform advocates and rank-and-file officers, a rare combination.
The role comes with a unique set of challenges:
Competing Priorities: City leaders, the police commission, the union, and community advocates all have different visions for what the chief should focus on. Is it crime reduction? Is it police reform? Is it budget cuts?
Public Safety Pressures: Homelessness, open-air drug use, property crime, and traffic safety are front and center. The new chief will be judged quickly on whether these improve.
Inside the Department: Staffing shortages, morale issues, and union relations will make leadership and change management a constant balancing act.
Oversight & Reform: The chief must meet reform mandates while working under close civilian oversight and intense transparency demands.
SF-Specific Hurdles: High costs make it hard to recruit officers, and while the city expects cutting-edge technology, residents are sensitive to privacy concerns.
Trying to find someone who is all things to all people could spell failure.
So, what does success look like and how will it be measured? Let us know your thoughts below.
*Watch ConnectedSF Institute's conversation with Police Commissioner Benedicto and Former Deputy Chief Ann Mannix:
connectedsfinstitute.org/event-recordings/v/sf-next-police-chief