Asian American police leaders promoted under reorganization by SFPD Interim Chief Yep

SAN FRANCISCO — Five Asian police officers were promoted to Command Staff and Captain positions within the San Francisco Police Department (SFPD) under Interim Police Chief Paul Yep's reorganization plan. Among those five promotions, three are Chinese American officers and two are Korean Americans.

Yep announced internally his 12-member Command Staff made up of sworn officers with 5 Deputy Chiefs and 7 Commanders effective on July 5. He has not yet made any changes on the 9 Director positions held by civilians.

Four Asian American officers are among the 12 newly-promoted Command Staff by Yep. They are Deputy Chiefs Derrick Lew in charge of the Field Operation Bureau and Mark Im of Investigation Bureau, Commanders Eric Kim in charge of Metro Division and Brien Hoo of the Airport Bureau.

Hoo is the immediate past Captain of Taraval Police Station which covers Sunset District, Ingleside and Oceanview, the largest Asian populated neighborhoods in San Francisco.

The latest promotion has made Hoo become the fourth highest ranking Chinese American officers currently in SFPD behind Interim Chief Yep, Deputy Chiefs Lew and Julian Ng who is on disability leave due to injuries.

Other new Command Staff members are Deputy Chiefs Nicole Jones in charge of the Administration Bureau, Jason Sawyer of Special Operations, and Derrick Jackson of Airport Bureau, Commanders Scott B. Biggs of Mid-City Division, Thomas Maguire of Investigation Bureau, Luke Martins of Special Operations Bureau, John Hart of Risk Management, and Tracy McCray of Golden Gate Division.

McCray was a Lieutenant and President of the San Francisco Police Officers Association (SFPOA) from 2022 to June 2025. She resigned from the leadership position at the SFPOA in June to be promoted by Yep as Commander.

Louis Wong elected as the first Asian President of the SFPD police union

30-year veteran Chinese American officer Louis Wong was elected by the SFPOA members in a special election as the new President to succeed the position left by McCray because of the promotion.

Wong will serve the rest of McCray’s term until January 2026. Wong is the first Asian and Chinese President in the history of SFPOA which is a police union representing over 1,700 sworn officers at the SFPD from the rank of officer to captain.

Yep also promoted 13 new Captains who will officially assume their new roles on July 19. Kevin Lee, who is the only Chinese and Asian among the 13 Captains promoted, is assigned to be the commanding officer of the Richmond Station.

Presently Lee and Sergio Chin, who is stationed at the Airport Bureau, are the only two Chinese/Asian officers on the rank of Captain in SFPD.

Asian officers on the mid-level management positions are exceptionally underrepresented related to former Police Chief Scott who had promoted fewer Chinese and Asian officers to management positions. In the meantime, more Asian officers took early retirement under Scott’s 8-year tenure.

Yep and retired Captain Robert Yick were among the Asian officers taking early retirement in 2023 without reaching their 30-year service for maximum pension.

Scott, who was appointed by late Mayor Ed Lee, served from January 2017 to June 2025 as Police Chief. He resigned in May from the SFPD and joined the Metro Transit Community Public Safety Department in Los Angeles to serve as its newly-created Chief of Police and Chief of Emergency Management.

While Scott led the SFPD, he had the largest Command Staff in the history of SFPD with a total of 25 members including 2 Assistant Chiefs, 5 Deputy Chiefs, 9 Commanders and 9 civilian Directors.

Scott added 9 high ranking positions to the Command Staff since he took office in 2017. Those 9 additional positions included 2 Assistant Chiefs, 2 Commanders in charge of Mid-City and Community Engagement, and 5 civilian Directors who handle Crime Strategies, Strategic Management, Constitutional Policing, Police and Public Affairs, as well as Labor Relations.

Yep said he interviewed all Command Staff members and Captains before he made the decision to form a new Command Staff. Traditionally there was no Assistant Chief in the SFPD until George Gascon was appointed in 2010 as Chief who added one Assistant Chief to the Command Staff.

Prior to joining the SFPD as Chief, Scott served for 27 years at the Los Angeles Police Department where he rose to the rank of Deputy Chief. When Scott came to the SFPD in 2017, he added two Assistant Chief positions.

Yep said he would not fill the Assistant Chief positions while he serves as the Interim Chief and the city is in the process of searching for a permanent Police Chief.

He would also follow the SFPD's tradition to have 5 Deputy Chiefs and 7 Commanders. "These positions are very important for the Police Department," said Yep.

Christopher Del Gandio serves as Central Station Captain

Yep announced transfers of all Captains in SFPD including commanding officers for all 10 police stations. Christopher Del Gandio, who was promoted to the rank of Captain in 2022, will serve as the incoming Central Station Captain which covers Chinatown, North Beach, Union Square and Fisherman's Wharf.

Del Gandio is familiar with the Central police district where he had served twice previously at Central Station as a new officer and Lieutenant. He joined the SFPD in 2007.

"As for my background, I have been in law enforcement for over 22 years, 18 of which were with SFPD," said Del Gandio. "One of my first assignments as an Officer was at Central Station back in 2008. I loved my time there serving the diverse communities that comprise the district. I returned to Central Station back in 2019 as a lieutenant where I served for almost three years until I was promoted to Captain in 2022."

"Central Station was my first choice of assignment and I am so happy that I am getting the opportunity to serve the district once again. I look forward to engaging with the Chinatown community and working side by side to create a safe and vibrant neighborhood," said Del Gandio.

A total of 7 newly-promoted Captains were assigned to lead district stations including Kevin Lee to oversee Richmond Station, Bernadette Robinson to Bayview Station, Patrick McCormick to Northern Station, Angela Wilhelm to Park Station, Gerald Newbeck to Ingleside Station, Clayton Harmston to Taraval Station, and Matthew Sullivan to Tenderloin Station.

Amy Hurwitz will serve as the Southern Station’s Captain and Sean Perdomo will be in charge of the Mission Station.

With recent promotions, the number of Chinese and Asian police officers in top management roles is among the lowest in recent decades. There are currently only 6 Asian Americans holding positions at the rank of Command Staff and Captain.

Two Asian Captains, Sergio Chin and Kevin Lee, are both Chinese Americans. In the meantime, the Asian population in San Francisco has risen to 37.3%, according to the latest data in 2024 from the U.S. census Bureau.

Commander Brien Hoo born in San Francisco Chinatown

Both newly-promoted Commander Hoo and Captain Lee have deep roots in Chinatown. Lee, who was born in China, is the first Chinese American immigrant serving as a Station Captain in SFPD.

Hoo was born in the city and lived in Chinatown's Single Room Occupancy (SRO) apartment when he was a young boy. His father was an immigrant from China and died when Hoo was 5 years old. His mother is Japanese American and raised her children as a single parent.

Hoo's family moved out of Chinatown and settled down in the city's Sunset District. He joined the U.S. Armed Forces after high school for 10 years. When he was discharged from military services, Hoo returned to San Francisco where he spent his childhood and teenage years.

In January 1995, Hoo joined the SFPD. "At the time my friends from the army decided to pursue a law enforcement career. I followed them and also submitted my applications to several police departments. The SFPD was the first agency to hire me," said Hoo, who believed his training and duties in the U.S. Army had well prepared him to be a police officer.

Hoo was promoted to the rank of Captain in March 2023 and assigned to serve as Night Captain. He became Taraval Station Captain in September 2024 until his promotion to Commander in July 2025.

Prior to serving as a Captain, Hoo had extensive experience in field operation as Lieutenant at the Airport Bureau, Tenderloin, Southern and Central Stations.

Hoo enjoyed his previous assignments serving at Central and Taraval Stations where he has had deep roots by growing up in San Francisco.

Captain Kevin Lee becomes the first Chinese American immigrant to serve as a Station Captain in SFPD

As a first-generation immigrant from China, Lee expressed gratitude to Yep for the opportunity to serve as Police Station Captain in a jurisdiction with a significant Asian and Chinese community.

At age 7, Lee immigrated to San Francisco from a rural village in Guangdong Province, China, near the City of Guangzhou. He grew up in Chinatown and North Beach neighborhoods.

Lee is a 26-year law enforcement veteran, 19 years with the SFPD and 7 years with the San Francisco Sheriff’s Office. He holds a master’s degree in management and leadership and a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice management.

Bilingual in Cantonese, Lee views language access and cultural understanding as essential tools in modern police policing, particularly in a city where the Asian American population represents over one-third of residents.

Lee said his formative years in Chinatown and North Beach have shaped him to a lasting commitment to public service and community engagement.

“My background allows me to connect with immigrant communities who may be hesitant to speak with law enforcement. Being bilingual helps foster trust and bridge gaps, especially in neighborhoods that have long felt underserved,” Lee noted.

Back in 2010 under former Police Chief Gascon, Lee was one of 30 Asian officers to sign up for a team of footbeat officers patrolling the Portola, Visitacion Valley and Bayview neighborhoods when the first wave of anti-Asian violent incidents against elders occurred in the Southeast region of the city.

Prior to this promotion, Lee served as a Lieutenant at the Bayview Station and previously at Park and Mission stations.

Lee sees moving up to the rank of Captain as a new chapter for his law enforcement career. He emphasized his readiness to work alongside the community to address public safety and quality of life concerns. “I am honored to be among the newly promoted captains, and I’m especially thankful to Chief Paul Yep for his trust and leadership. Chief Yep, with more than three decades of service to our city, has long been an inspiration and role model for me,” said Lee.

“I believe in Mayor Lurie’s philosophy that we all need to roll up our sleeves and get the work done,” Lee added. “There's renewed energy in the Department, and I’m excited for what lies ahead.”