South City names new police chief

South San Francisco named its new police chief, selecting South San Francisco Police Department veteran Scott Campbell to replace outgoing Chief Jeff Azzopardi.

“It’s a great day for passing the torch from one terrific police chief to another,’’ City Manager Mike Futrell, who selected Campbell, said. “I have settled on who I believe to be the next great police chief for the city of South San Francisco.”

Campbell has been with the department since 1998, previously a captain and commander of the Investigations Division that encompasses the Criminal Investigations Bureau, neighborhood response team and task force officers.

His appointment follows a “long and rigorous national search,” said Futrell. Azzopardi, who served as chief for seven years and joined the department in 1993, announced his retirement in September.

Members of the Police Department joined the City Council and other city officials for a ceremonial pinning of the badge Friday. Campbell will officially begin his watch as chief Dec. 24. 

The promotion comes amid a time of strain between law enforcement and some community factions that have called for police reform or defunding in the wake of high-profile killings by police in recent years. During multiple community outreach events, members of the public overwhelmingly expressed that a new chief should be selected from within the community and be someone who understands the city’s diverse population.

Campbell said his primary focus will be strengthening the department’s ties with the community.

“The biggest priority is to build and continue to rebuild relationships with our communities, especially our residents of color, our residents of low income,” Campbell said. “We need to revamp all of our community outreach programs … part of our culture is community outreach and building those relationships.”

Campbell’s other positions with the department have included field training officer, S.W.A.T. team leader, patrol sergeant, detective sergeant, planning liaison and crime prevention sergeant and patrol watch commander. He is currently a member of the North Central Regional S.W.A.T. team and is assigned as a team commander. He holds a master’s degree in organizational leadership and a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice management.

Campbell emphasized the department will also continue to work to reduce crime proactively and “to address quality of life issues, education, enforcement.”

“This department will remain one of the finest organizations in the country,” he said. “We are starting a new chapter, however our culture, traditions, remain strong.”

The department will soon implement a public safety advisory board, something Campbell said he hopes will help “bridge the gap” between the department and community members, some of whom may not feel comfortable lodging complaints directly with law enforcement but who could be more inclined to bring concerns to the board. The board would have seven members of the public who would make recommendations related to the department’s policies and procedures.

Mayor Mark Nagales called Campbell’s appointment “well deserved,” and said he was joining a “long list of extraordinary individuals.”

“I know at times this job can be extremely difficult, it can be even more stressful to your family, that’s why I want to give a special thank you to Chief Campbell’s family,” Nagales said. “To Campbell, know that the city and the community are behind you and we can’t wait for you to get started.”

In a more immediate challenge, Campbell’s first weeks will involve moving the police department to a new facility. The department’s current headquarters at 33 Arroyo Drive, which also houses a fire station and serves as the city’s municipal services building, is an aging structure the department outgrew years ago. The recently completed new facility is blocks away at 1 Chestnut Ave.

corey@smdailyjournal.com

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