Heather Fong

Heather Jeanne Fong (Chinese: 方宇文; pinyin: Fāng Yǔwén,[1] born 1956) is the former chief of police for San Francisco, California, United States. She is the first woman to lead the San Francisco Police Department, and the first Asian American woman to head a major metropolitan city police force. She is also the second Asian American police chief in SFPD history, the other being Fred Lau.

Heather J. Fong
Fong in 1998
Born1956 (age 64–65)
San Francisco, California
Alma materUniversity of San Francisco (BA)
SF State (MSW)
Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps
Police career
DepartmentSan Francisco Police Department
Service years1977 - 2009
RankSworn in as a Police Officer - 1977
Commander - August 1998
Deputy Chief - June 2000
Assistant Chief of Police - May 2003
Acting Chief of Police - January 22, 2004
Chief of Police - April 14, 2004

Fong became the Interim San Francisco police chief in January 2004 after Alex Fagan Sr. was reassigned by Gavin Newsom. She became the permanent police chief in April 2004.

Fong most recently served as the Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary for State and Local Law Enforcement, a position she held since November 17, 2014.[2] She left the position at the end of the Obama administration.

Early life and education

Her ancestral roots are in Ho Chung village, Chung Shan County (now in Zhongshan City), Guangdong Province, China.[3][4]

Fong grew up in the North Beach neighborhood of San Francisco and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of San Francisco and a Master of Social Work degree from San Francisco State University. In college, Fong was a member of the United States Air Force ROTC and worked as a police cadet.

Career

She served as a Police Activities League Cadet and Civil Service Police Cadet prior to entering the department. She was sworn in as a police officer in 1977, and worked through the ranks of inspector, sergeant, lieutenant, captain, commander, deputy chief, assistant chief, acting chief, and then permanent chief.

During her career, she has been assigned to patrol, served as an Academy training officer and instructor, child abuse investigator, youth programs coordinator, drug education instructor, grant writer, strategic planner, district station watch commander and commanding officer.

Chief Fong was assigned to the Special Operations Division in August 1998 when she was promoted to commander. While there, she was responsible for the Traffic, Tactical, and MUNI Transit companies. In June 2000, upon promotion to deputy chief, she was assigned to the Field Operations Bureau, where she managed the uniformed patrol personnel of the San Francisco Police Department. In August 2002, she was assigned to oversee the Administration Bureau. In May 2003, she was appointed assistant chief of police. Mayor Gavin Newsom appointed her acting chief of police on January 22, 2004, and chief of police on April 14, 2004.

Heather Fong (left), with Theresa Sparks (center) and Sgt. Stephan Thorne commemorate the Compton's Cafeteria riot.

Firearm certification

Chief Fong drew criticism in June 2008 for failing to complete firearm recertification for over five years though all San Francisco police officers are required to recertify annually by department regulations. Chief Fong was quoted as saying that she was too busy to recertify.[5] When the controversy erupted in the local media, she was recertified a week later.[6]

Leadership

Fong was criticized for supporting Mayor Gavin Newsom in his conflict with police officer Andrew Cohen and 21 other officers who made a controversial "comedy" videotape for a police Christmas party. This tape was deemed racist, sexist, homophobic, and anti-Asian by the mayor, but the officers pointed out that they were making fun of themselves and that the tape was meant only for their own private Christmas party. Fong was criticized for supporting the mayor in this dispute rather than the men and women under her command.[7]

In 2008, Fong became embroiled in a promotion scandal and faced pushback from SFPD rank and file over her controversial plan to cut the rank of Inspector (equivalent to Detective). About 53 San Francisco police officers filed a complaint with the Civil Service Commission. They tested for Q-35 jobs as inspectors 10 years prior, but Chief Fong has decided to eliminate that position, and fill those investigative roles with Q-50 sergeants. 40 to 50 percent of the knowledge and abilities needed for an inspector were not covered by the sergeants test. The San Francisco Police Commission subsequently determined that Fong had acted improperly, and that personnel from the 1998 Q-35 inspectors list should have been hired instead of sergeants. [8]Litigation is presently ongoing for the plaintiff officers, 39 in total and many part of the original Civil Service Commission complaint who are now retired.[9]

Retirement

Fong announced in December 2008 that she would be stepping down in April 2009, after serving five years as San Francisco's police chief.[10]

Fong receives some $264,000 annually in pension payments.[11] The high amount of pension payments to Fong and other retired top officials in San Francisco's police and fire departments has prompted critical comment.[11][12]

See also

References
  1. 李昆明 金山史上第一位亞裔警察 (in Chinese). 世界新聞網 (World Journal). August 21, 2011. Archived from the original on July 14, 2014. Retrieved July 4, 2014.
  3. Chinese American Heroine: Heather Fong : AsianWeek Archived 2009-09-18 at the Wayback Machine
  4. "Chinese Culture Center of San Francisco". CCC San Francisco. Retrieved 2020-02-26.
  5. Lyles, Robert (2008-06-15). "SFPD Chief In Trouble For Missing Target Practice". CBS5. Archived from the original on June 15, 2008. Retrieved 2020-02-26.
  6. Rubenstein, Steve (2008-06-12). "S.F. police chief OK on pistol tests". SFGate. Retrieved 2020-02-26.
  7. SFIST Jer (July 11, 2007). "'VideoGate' Officer Andrew Cohen Doesn't Hold Back". Archived from the original on 2015-08-15. Retrieved 2014-09-07.
  8. SFPD Chief considers cutting inspectors| https://abc7news.com/archive/6407837/
  9. https://www.sfexaminer.com/news/retired-officers-seek-end-to-decade-old-age-discrimination-case/
  10. Rachel Gordon, S.F. police chief announces retirement: City's first female top cop leaving in April, will help pick successor, San Francisco Chronicle (December 21, 2008).
  11. Heather Knight, S.F. pays supplemental pensions to retired brass, San Francisco Chronicle (March 13, 2011).
  12. Matier & Ross, S.F. retirees' solid-golden years, San Francisco Chronicle (June 1, 2009).
  • SF Chronicle on Fong retirement
Police appointments
Preceded by
Alex Fagan		 Chief of San Francisco Police Department
2004–2009		 Succeeded by
George Gascón
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