Board reappoints Police Commission president after split vote over process and timing

The San Francisco Board of Supervisors voted 7-4 on January 10 to reappoint Cindy Elias to the Police Commission, concluding a heated debate over whether the board should delay the confirmation to allow newly seated supervisors time to consider applicants.

Supervisor and Gardio moved to send the reappointment back to committee for further consideration; Supervisor Mark Dorsey seconded the motion. Supporters of the delay said the appointment is not due until April and that a short postponement would allow newly elected supervisors to fully vet candidates and give the public an additional opportunity to apply. Opponents argued that the Rules Committee had already conducted a lengthy vetting process and that Elias’s record merited reappointment.

The reappointment drew sustained discussion from a broad cross-section…