Incumbent Police Commissioner Angela Chan was replaced Tuesday by applicant Victor Hwang in a 7-4 Board of Supervisors vote amid a backdrop of contentious politics.
Chan -- who is known for opposing the use of Tasers, holding the Police Department accountable for how it treats mentally ill people and is described as an "independent force" -- was unable to pick up the needed six votes for reappointment.
Instead, Hwang, a former assistant district attorney and a co-chair of the "Run Ed Run" campaign in 2011 supporting Mayor Ed Lee, prevailed. Both are popular Asian-American candidates with a wide breadth of supporters.
Supervisor Katy Tang, who made the motion to appoint Hwang, said she was persuaded by his "extensive criminal justice and civil-rights
experience."
Supervisor Eric Mar, however, said Chan's "voice as a strong woman of color on the Police Commission is needed now more than ever."
Among supporters of Chan, who works for the Asian Law Caucus, were Public Defender Jeff Adachi and the San Francisco Homeless Coalition. Hwang's supporters included District Attorney George Gascón and the Chinatown Community Development Center.
The Police Commission oversees the operations of the Police Department, sets operational policies and holds disciplinary hearings on police misconduct charges.
Supervisors John Avalos, David Campos, Eric Mar and Norman Yee voted against Hwang. After Hwang won the initial vote to replace Chan as the proposed appointment, he was unanimously backed by the
board.