Board names Bill Ong Hing to Police Commission after a contested hearing

The Board of Supervisors appointed Bill Ong Hing to the San Francisco Police Commission to serve through April 30, 2018, after a contentious hearing that divided members.

The appointment followed a rules‑committee review of several candidates. Supervisor Cohen nominated attorney John Hamasaki as an alternative; that motion failed in a roll call. The full board then acted on the rules committee recommendation and confirmed Bill Ong Hing by an 8–2 vote, with Supervisors Breed and Cohen voting no.

Discussion at committee and on the floor centered on qualifications and community ties. Supporters of Hing pointed to four decades of civil‑rights and immigrant‑rights advocacy and academic work; supporters argued his experience with multi‑racial coalitions and community organizations fit the commission’s role overseeing police policy and discipline. Supporters of Hamasaki emphasized recent courtroom and community defense experience, attendance at commission meetings and relationships with both community groups and police stakeholders.

Supervisor Jane Kim, who led a portion of the rules committee discussion, said Hing’s long record of neighborhood and racial‑justice work made him a strong candidate at “a time when we need a wise leader on the commission.” Supervisor Malia Cohen argued for Hamasaki as a practitioner with courtroom experience and existing engagement with the police commission process.

Hing’s appointment came as the board debated broader police reform issues, including past and planned changes to discipline and oversight. The board recorded its votes and confirmed Hing in an 8–2 vote; the appointment is effective immediately.