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Commission describes exhaustive search and forwards George Gascon among three finalists to the mayor
Summary
The commission reviewed a confidential search process that screened 88 applicants and forwarded three finalists to the mayor; Mesa Police Chief George Gascon was unanimously among the candidates the commission sent for the mayor's final selection.
The Police Commission outlined a months‑long public search for a new police chief and said it had forwarded three finalists to the mayor for final selection.
Commission President Teresa Sparks described the process: the commission conducted 49 stakeholder meetings to define a 12‑point candidate profile, reviewed 88 applications, directed phone interviews of 26 candidates, then held in‑person interviews with 13. After deliberation in closed session the commission selected three finalists to forward to the mayor.
"We voted in closed session on those individuals and Mr. Gascon received 7 votes out of 7 commissioners," Sparks said, identifying Mesa Chief George Gascon as one of the three finalists the commission sent to the mayor for consideration. The commission then delivered the formal packet to the mayor's office for his selection and noted that the final hire and contract timing would depend on the candidate's availability and the mayor's decision.
The commissioners emphasized the confidentiality of the deliberations and thanked staff and clerical support (Lieutenant Joe Riley and clerical staff) for preserving the integrity of the search. The commission also summarized the candidate profile used to evaluate applicants (community focus, patrol and district leadership experience, commitment to diversity, media and communication skills, and an understanding of immigration and sanctuary-city issues).
A public commenter raised questions about an article in the San Francisco Chronicle and asked the commission to verify reported biographical details about Chief Gascon; commissioners thanked the commenter and reiterated that the mayor will make the final appointment.
No final appointment was made at the meeting; the commission's action was to forward finalists to the mayor as required by the charter and the city's hiring process.
