After more than six months without a permanent police chief in San Francisco, Mayor Daniel Lurie on Wednesday announced the selection of Deputy Chief Derrick Lew to fill the position. 

“Today marks the beginning of a new era for the San Francisco Police Department and our city,” Lurie said in a statement. “Derrick Lew has been shaped by this city, earning his stripes on the street and earning trust in communities across the city.”

Lew is a San Francisco native who has spent more than 20 years in the department, entering the academy in 2002. He served at Ingleside, Bayview and Mission stations before joining the Investigations Bureau.

He was awarded a medal of valor for his role in a shooting where his partner was fatally shot by Charles Breed, the cousin of former Mayor London Breed. 

He became captain of the Ingleside Station in 2022 before being tapped to run SFPD’s Drug Market Agency Coordination Center, which conducts operations against open-air drug dealing. 

Lew was promoted in May to the role of deputy chief leading the department’s Field Operations Bureau. 

The decision comes three weeks after Lurie received a list of nominations from the Police Commission. Paul Yep took over the position as interim police chief after former chief Bill Scott stepped down in May. 

“Derrick Lew has proven himself to be a strong leader fiercely committed to keeping our city safe,” said District Attorney Brooke Jenkins on social media. “I have enjoyed working closely with him over the years and am excited to continue building on our partnership as he takes the helm of the San Francisco Police Department.”

Lew said he will tackle several goals as chief: increasing the number of sworn officers, addressing the drug crisis, improving street conditions and other public safety concerns. 

“It is the honor of a lifetime to lead the San Francisco Police Department–the gold standard in policing,” said Lew in a statement released by the mayor’s office. “I have tremendous admiration for the men and women of this department, who risk their lives every day to protect our city. We are safer because of them.”

Alise Maripuu is an intern at BCN with a focus on covering the Peninsula. Originally from San Carlos, Alise discovered her passion for journalism after studying abroad in Thailand during her senior year attending UC Santa Cruz. Her experience in Thailand taught her the consequences for democracy when living in a society with strict laws against free speech. After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in history, Alise took courses in journalism at Skyline Community College to learn how to write for news. As the Chief Copy Editor on Skyline’s student-run newspaper for the 2023-24 school year, Alise gained editing and managing experience leading a team of reporters. She covered hyperlocal stories affecting her campus such as the rise in food and housing insecurity. Alise wants to focus on data journalism.