Poised to be formally sworn in on Monday, March 3, Mayor-elect Kevin Faulconer moved swiftly to replace San Diego Police Chief Bill Lansdowne, who retired just one day earlier on Feb. 25 amid a bruising string of officer misconduct convictions and fresh allegations of wrongdoing against a handful of other officers under his command.
In an announcement made Feb. 26 at police headquarters downtown, Faulconer revealed the appointment of Assistant Chief Shelley Zimmerman as the department’s new leader — the first hiring of a woman police chief in San Diego’s history.
Zimmerman is longtime veteran of the San Diego Police Department.
The City Council will still need to lend its endorsement to Faulconer’s selection of Zimmerman, but the appointment is expected to meet no resistance. Faulconer’s choice drew immediate praise from District 6 City Councilwoman Lorie Zapf and San Diego District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis.