George Gascón
Encyclopedia
George Gascón is the District Attorney
of San Francisco. Mayor
Gavin Newsom
appointed him to that post on January 9, 2011, to succeed Kamala Harris
, who had been elected California Attorney General
in November 2010
.
Born in Havana
, Cuba
, Gascón and his family, whom he describes as "strong anti-communists", fled to the United States in 1967 and settled in Bell, California
, a suburb of Los Angeles
. After dropping out of Bell High School
, Gascón served in the United States Army
from 1972 to 1975 and earned his high school diploma. In 1978, Gascón joined the Los Angeles Police Department
. He then became a sales manager at a Ford Motor Company
dealership and pursued higher education. He received a bachelor's degree in history from California State University, Long Beach
and a juris doctor from Western State University College of Law
. In 1987, he became a full-time police officer again and rose to the ranks of Assistant Police Chief and Director of the Office of Operations. In 2006, Gascón became the chief of the Mesa, Arizona
police department.
Gascon was chief of the San Francisco Police Department
from August 7, 2009, to January 9, 2011, succeeding Heather Fong
. He was replaced by Greg Suhr, who was sworn in on April 27, 2011
From 1973 to 1975, Gascon served in the US Army and received an honorable discharge as a Sergeant (E-5).
Gascón has been an active member of the California State Bar since 1996.
District attorney
In many jurisdictions in the United States, a District Attorney is an elected or appointed government official who represents the government in the prosecution of criminal offenses. The district attorney is the highest officeholder in the jurisdiction's legal department and supervises a staff of...
of San Francisco. Mayor
Mayor of San Francisco
The Mayor of the City and County of San Francisco is the head of the executive branch of San Francisco's city and county government. The mayor has the duty to enforce city laws, and the power to either approve or veto bills passed by the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, the legislative branch....
Gavin Newsom
Gavin Newsom
Gavin Christopher Newsom is an American politician who is the 49th and current Lieutenant Governor of California. Previously, he was the 42nd Mayor of San Francisco, and was elected in 2003 to succeed Willie Brown, becoming San Francisco's youngest mayor in 100 years. Newsom was re-elected in 2007...
appointed him to that post on January 9, 2011, to succeed Kamala Harris
Kamala Harris
Kamala Devi Harris is an American attorney. She is the 32nd and current Attorney General of California following the 2010 California state elections. Harris has worked as an author and a politician and has served as District Attorney of San Francisco since 2004...
, who had been elected California Attorney General
California Attorney General
The California Attorney General is the State Attorney General of California. The officer's duty is to ensure that "the laws of the state are uniformly and adequately enforced" The Attorney General carries out the responsibilities of the office through the California Department of Justice.The...
in November 2010
California Attorney General election, 2010
The 2010 California Attorney General election was held on November 2, 2010 to choose the Attorney General of California. The primary election was held on June 8, 2010...
.
Born in Havana
Havana
Havana is the capital city, province, major port, and leading commercial centre of Cuba. The city proper has a population of 2.1 million inhabitants, and it spans a total of — making it the largest city in the Caribbean region, and the most populous...
, Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
, Gascón and his family, whom he describes as "strong anti-communists", fled to the United States in 1967 and settled in Bell, California
Bell, California
Bell is a city in Los Angeles County, California. Its population was 35,477 at the 2010 census, down from 36,664 in the 2000 census. Bell is located on the west bank of the Los Angeles River and is a suburb of the city of Los Angeles...
, a suburb of Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
. After dropping out of Bell High School
Bell High School (Bell, California)
Bell High School is a public high school in Bell, California, United States.The school, which serves grades 9 through 12, is a part of District 6 of the Los Angeles Unified School District....
, Gascón served in the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
from 1972 to 1975 and earned his high school diploma. In 1978, Gascón joined the Los Angeles Police Department
Los Angeles Police Department
The Los Angeles Police Department is the police department of the city of Los Angeles, California. With just under 10,000 officers and more than 3,000 civilian staff, covering an area of with a population of more than 4.1 million people, it is the third largest local law enforcement agency in...
. He then became a sales manager at a Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...
dealership and pursued higher education. He received a bachelor's degree in history from California State University, Long Beach
California State University, Long Beach
California State University, Long Beach is the second largest campus of the California State University system and the third largest university in the state of California by enrollment...
and a juris doctor from Western State University College of Law
Western State University College of Law
Western State University, College of Law is a private, for-profit American law school in Fullerton, California. It was the first law school established in Orange County and has over 11,000 alumni....
. In 1987, he became a full-time police officer again and rose to the ranks of Assistant Police Chief and Director of the Office of Operations. In 2006, Gascón became the chief of the Mesa, Arizona
Mesa, Arizona
According to the 2010 Census, the racial composition of Mesa was as follows:* White: 77.1% * Hispanic or Latino : 26.54%* Black or African American: 3.5%* Two or more races: 3.4%* Native American: 2.4%...
police department.
Gascon was chief of the San Francisco Police Department
San Francisco Police Department
The San Francisco Police Department, also known as the SFPD and San Francisco Department Of Police, is the police department of the City and County of San Francisco, California...
from August 7, 2009, to January 9, 2011, succeeding Heather Fong
Heather Fong
Heather Jeanne Fong is the former chief of police for San Francisco, California, United States. Her ancestral roots are in Ho Chung village, Chung Shan County , Guangdong Province, China. She is the first woman to lead the San Francisco Police Department, and the first Asian American woman to...
. He was replaced by Greg Suhr, who was sworn in on April 27, 2011
From 1973 to 1975, Gascon served in the US Army and received an honorable discharge as a Sergeant (E-5).
Gascón has been an active member of the California State Bar since 1996.