Lurie Names SF’s 1st Chief of Public Safety, Tapping Former Police Commander

San Francisco Mayor-elect Daniel Lurie is assembling the top brass for his incoming administration, announcing Thursday that retired Police Department commander Paul Yep will oversee public safety efforts in the mayor’s office.

The SFPD veteran will direct policy dealing with the Police Department as well as the Fire Department and emergency management at a time when public safety is a top issue among many San Franciscans — and also as the city is reporting significant decreases in crime, including the lowest number of homicides in nearly 60 years in 2024.

“I’m deeply honored that Mayor-elect Lurie has entrusted this position with me, and I am super excited and optimistic about our city under his leadership,” Yep said in an interview. “I want to ensure that everyone that lives, works and visits our city is safe when they are in San Francisco.”

Yep is the second person named to fill four new policy director roles that Lurie has created for his administration; the mayor-elect is expected to soon name his director of infrastructure, climate and mobility, as well as director of public health and well-being. Lurie recently named former Twitter executive Ned Segal as his director of housing and economic development and former Giants vice president Staci Slaughter as his chief of staff.

The four new policy directors will oversee the city’s 56 agencies and, alongside Slaughter, will report directly to the mayor. Lurie’s first day in office is Jan. 8.

“I’m proud to announce Paul Yep as the first ever Chief of Public Safety. Paul has dedicated his career to keeping San Franciscans safe and there is no one better for this critical job,” Lurie said in a statement. “Together, we will support our law enforcement and ensure that every resident, worker, and visitor is safe in our city.”

Coupled with a devastating housing crisis and overdose epidemic, the COVID-19 pandemic ushered in spikes in property theft and retail crime, putting many voters on edge over the street conditions they witnessed.

In the last year, however, theft and property crimes, as well as violent crime in San Francisco, have all dropped, according to SFPD data.

Despite those gradual declines, Mayor London Breed struggled to reassure residents that safety was improving, and in November, voters opted for a fresh start with Lurie, an heir to the Levi Strauss fortune with no prior experience in government.

Yep worked closely with Lurie on the campaign trail and endorsed his run for mayor. In addition to having nearly 28 years with the Police Department, Yep also brings to City Hall his ties to the city’s Asian American communities. That will be critical as he helps Lurie navigate challenges that his predecessor also encountered, like rising incidents of anti-Asian hate.

“On issues concerning public safety and so much more, Paul has been a trusted ally to the Chinese community for years,” said Anni Chung, president and CEO of Self-Help for the Elderly, a community-based organization for mostly immigrant and monolingual Asian seniors. “I’m excited to hear that he’ll continue to serve not just our community but every San Franciscan in this critical role.”

Yep said addressing the city’s fentanyl crisis will be one of his top priorities in the mayor’s office, but he did not provide specific details about what the administration’s response will look like. He said he wants to increase police staffing overall but also supports the city’s street crisis response teams that offer an alternative to police for calls relating to mental health and other nonviolent emergencies.

“We’re going to have to leverage our resources to address these issues in a really smart, smart way moving forward and immediately,” Yep said.