Richard Hongisto
Encyclopedia
Richard D. Hongisto was a businessman, politician, sheriff
and police chief of San Francisco, California
, and Cleveland, Ohio
.
immigrants. He moved to San Francisco with his family as a young boy, and grew up in the Sunset District, where he graduated from George Washington High School
. He later attended San Francisco City College. While completing a bachelor's degree at San Francisco State University
, Hongisto became a police officer for the San Francisco Police Department (SFPD).
Hongisto's activism made him controversial among the ranks of the SFPD, but at the same time he was a popular public figure. He ran for sheriff in 1971, and was elected — a surprise that shocked the San Francisco political establishment. His predecessor, Matthew Carberry, had been a four-term sheriff, was well-connected politically, and had been considered a shoo-in for a return to the job.
Hongisto's election had been orchestrated methodically by computer analyst Les Morgan, using the then-new idea of precinct
analysis of voting trends. Hongisto was considered the first candidate for public office in San Francisco to be elected largely by outsiders: gay, Latino, and other minority voters who had a strong voting presence, but who had been ignored by the political establishment.
He was the first sheriff to hire gay and lesbian deputies, and later became embroiled in controversy when he deliberately delayed the eviction of residents from the International Hotel
, a residential hotel in Manilatown. After a long period where he refused to carry out the eviction, which included time spent in the San Mateo County
jail on contempt of court
charges, Hongisto eventually carried out the mass eviction, which earned him the enmity of some of the very people he tried to protect.
in 1977, where he served as police chief under Mayor Dennis Kucinich
. His penchant for controversy, and conflicts with Kucinich, eventually led to his being fired by the mayor on live local television. In Cleveland his firing sparked a recall drive
to remove Kucinich from office.
, where he helped to place Proposition M, a measure which would limit construction of high rise commercial buildings, on the public ballot. The measure passed overwhelmingly, and has to this day continued to impact the conservative development of San Francisco's skyline.
With the endorsement of then-Mayor Art Agnos, Hongisto later ran for the office of Assessor.
In 1991, he ran for mayor but did not make the run-off, coming in fourth. After declining to endorse Agnos for re-election as mayor, in a race won by police chief Frank Jordan
, Hongisto was appointed in 1992 by Jordan to be San Francisco's police chief.
Hongisto's tenure as police chief lasted only six weeks, and was punctuated by controversy over his handling of demonstrations and riots which occurred in the wake of the Rodney King
police brutality trial in Los Angeles
. Hongisto cordoned off an entire neighborhood in the Mission district on a Saturday afternoon, establishing a net that saw the arrests of all people on the street, demonstrators and ordinary citizens alike. Hongisto had rented city buses to transport the arrested citizens, and they were processed at a warehouse on San Francisco's wharfs. Instead of merely citing and releasing those arrested, Hongisto ordered that they be arrested and processed at the Santa Rita jail in Dublin
(Alameda County), rather than in San Francisco County, thus ensuring that they would not be able to avail themselves of their civil rights and return to San Francisco. This enraged progressive activists and civil libertarians as well as the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, which ordered Hongisto to release the citizens he had arrested. On the following Saturday, Hongisto ordered police to disrupt another demonstration and arrested demonstrators with no order to disperse. Both incidences were later the targets of class action suits against the city of San Francisco, although the former, undertaken by the Lawyer's Guild, would not be resolved for nearly a decade.
Soon thereafter, a gay and lesbian community newspaper, the San Francisco Bay Times
, published a cover graphic of Hongisto's head pasted on the body of a lesbian activist. The activist was dressed in a police uniform and held a giant baton near the belt line, the headline screaming "Dick's Cool New Tool: Martial Law
", in reference to the police actions. What happened afterwards is subject to dispute. Hongisto claimed that he had asked members of the police union to gather copies of the paper to show members of the rank and file what he was enduring in the activist press, in reaction to their criticism of his supposedly failing to properly defend their conduct of the arrests during the King riots. Around 2,000 copies of the free papers were taken from news rack
s by three officers and later found stored at the Mission District
police station. Hongisto was publicly accused of ordering the confiscation of the papers
in attempt at censorship
, a charge he continued to deny up to his death. After a hearing, which many considered to be highly politicized, the San Francisco Police Commission found him culpable, and Mayor Jordan dismissed him. One of those three officers, Gary Delagnes, is now president of the San Francisco Police Officers Association
.
Hongisto died of a heart attack
on November 4, 2004, at the age of 67, leaving behind a son and daughter. He married four times, and was living with a girlfriend at the time of his death.
Sheriff
A sheriff is in principle a legal official with responsibility for a county. In practice, the specific combination of legal, political, and ceremonial duties of a sheriff varies greatly from country to country....
and police chief of San Francisco, California
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
, and Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
.
Early life and education
Hongisto was born to Gladys and Raymond Hongisto, the descendants of FinnishFinland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
immigrants. He moved to San Francisco with his family as a young boy, and grew up in the Sunset District, where he graduated from George Washington High School
George Washington High School (San Francisco)
George Washington High School is a public high school in Richmond District, San Francisco, California. The school is a part of the San Francisco Unified School District...
. He later attended San Francisco City College. While completing a bachelor's degree at San Francisco State University
San Francisco State University
San Francisco State University is a public university located in San Francisco, California. As part of the 23-campus California State University system, the university offers over 100 areas of study from nine academic colleges...
, Hongisto became a police officer for the San Francisco Police Department (SFPD).
Early career
As a police officer, Hongisto earned a reputation for activism, fighting discrimination within the police force and against police brutality. He was a co-founder of Officers for Justice, an organization of officers who were primarily racial minorities or gay.Hongisto's activism made him controversial among the ranks of the SFPD, but at the same time he was a popular public figure. He ran for sheriff in 1971, and was elected — a surprise that shocked the San Francisco political establishment. His predecessor, Matthew Carberry, had been a four-term sheriff, was well-connected politically, and had been considered a shoo-in for a return to the job.
Hongisto's election had been orchestrated methodically by computer analyst Les Morgan, using the then-new idea of precinct
Precinct
A precinct is a space enclosed by the walls or other boundaries of a particular place or building, or by an arbitrary and imaginary line drawn around it. The term has several different uses...
analysis of voting trends. Hongisto was considered the first candidate for public office in San Francisco to be elected largely by outsiders: gay, Latino, and other minority voters who had a strong voting presence, but who had been ignored by the political establishment.
He was the first sheriff to hire gay and lesbian deputies, and later became embroiled in controversy when he deliberately delayed the eviction of residents from the International Hotel
I-Hotel
The I-Hotel, officially known as the International Hotel, was built in 1907 after the devastating 1906 earthquake and was a low-cost residential hotel located at the corner of Kearny and Jackson Streets in the Manilatown section of San Francisco...
, a residential hotel in Manilatown. After a long period where he refused to carry out the eviction, which included time spent in the San Mateo County
San Mateo County, California
San Mateo County is a county located in the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California. It covers most of the San Francisco Peninsula just south of San Francisco, and north of Santa Clara County. San Francisco International Airport is located at the northern end of the county, and...
jail on contempt of court
Contempt of court
Contempt of court is a court order which, in the context of a court trial or hearing, declares a person or organization to have disobeyed or been disrespectful of the court's authority...
charges, Hongisto eventually carried out the mass eviction, which earned him the enmity of some of the very people he tried to protect.
Cleveland
After serving as the sheriff in San Francisco, Hongisto briefly moved to Cleveland, OhioCleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
in 1977, where he served as police chief under Mayor Dennis Kucinich
Dennis Kucinich
Dennis John Kucinich is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1997. He was furthermore a candidate for the Democratic nomination for President of the United States in the 2004 and 2008 presidential elections....
. His penchant for controversy, and conflicts with Kucinich, eventually led to his being fired by the mayor on live local television. In Cleveland his firing sparked a recall drive
1978 Cleveland Recall Election
The 1978 Cleveland Recall Election determined whether or not Cleveland, Ohio's 53rd mayor, Dennis Kucinich would be removed from office. It was the first mayoral recall election in the city's history.-Background:...
to remove Kucinich from office.
New York State
The Governor of the State of New York then invited Hongisto to manage that state's prison system. Hongisto accepted the challenge of reforming a system that had been plagued by riots and unrest within several of its facilities. Permanent appointment to this position required confirmation by the state senate, which was not forthcoming. Hongisto therefore returned to San Francisco to run for Supervisor in 1980.Return to San Francisco
Upon his return to San Francisco, Hongisto ran for and was elected to the San Francisco Board of SupervisorsSan Francisco Board of Supervisors
The San Francisco Board of Supervisors is the legislative body within the government of the City and County of San Francisco, California, United States.-Government and politics:...
, where he helped to place Proposition M, a measure which would limit construction of high rise commercial buildings, on the public ballot. The measure passed overwhelmingly, and has to this day continued to impact the conservative development of San Francisco's skyline.
With the endorsement of then-Mayor Art Agnos, Hongisto later ran for the office of Assessor.
In 1991, he ran for mayor but did not make the run-off, coming in fourth. After declining to endorse Agnos for re-election as mayor, in a race won by police chief Frank Jordan
Frank Jordan
Francis M. “Frank” Jordan is a U.S. politician, foundation executive and former Chief of Police.Jordan was born in San Francisco in 1935 and graduated from Sacred Heart High School in 1953...
, Hongisto was appointed in 1992 by Jordan to be San Francisco's police chief.
Hongisto's tenure as police chief lasted only six weeks, and was punctuated by controversy over his handling of demonstrations and riots which occurred in the wake of the Rodney King
Rodney King
Rodney Glen King is an American best known for his involvement in a police brutality case involving the Los Angeles Police Department on March 3, 1991...
police brutality trial in Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
. Hongisto cordoned off an entire neighborhood in the Mission district on a Saturday afternoon, establishing a net that saw the arrests of all people on the street, demonstrators and ordinary citizens alike. Hongisto had rented city buses to transport the arrested citizens, and they were processed at a warehouse on San Francisco's wharfs. Instead of merely citing and releasing those arrested, Hongisto ordered that they be arrested and processed at the Santa Rita jail in Dublin
Dublin, California
Dublin is a suburban city of the East Bay region of Alameda County, California, United States. Located along the north side of Interstate 580 at the intersection with Interstate 680, roughly east of Hayward, west of Livermore and north of San Jose, it was named after the city of Dublin in...
(Alameda County), rather than in San Francisco County, thus ensuring that they would not be able to avail themselves of their civil rights and return to San Francisco. This enraged progressive activists and civil libertarians as well as the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, which ordered Hongisto to release the citizens he had arrested. On the following Saturday, Hongisto ordered police to disrupt another demonstration and arrested demonstrators with no order to disperse. Both incidences were later the targets of class action suits against the city of San Francisco, although the former, undertaken by the Lawyer's Guild, would not be resolved for nearly a decade.
Soon thereafter, a gay and lesbian community newspaper, the San Francisco Bay Times
San Francisco Bay Times
The San Francisco Bay Times is a free weekly LGBT newspaper in San Francisco, California that started as COMING Up! in October 1979 as "the gay lesbian newspaper and calendar of events for the Bay Area."...
, published a cover graphic of Hongisto's head pasted on the body of a lesbian activist. The activist was dressed in a police uniform and held a giant baton near the belt line, the headline screaming "Dick's Cool New Tool: Martial Law
Martial law
Martial law is the imposition of military rule by military authorities over designated regions on an emergency basis— only temporary—when the civilian government or civilian authorities fail to function effectively , when there are extensive riots and protests, or when the disobedience of the law...
", in reference to the police actions. What happened afterwards is subject to dispute. Hongisto claimed that he had asked members of the police union to gather copies of the paper to show members of the rank and file what he was enduring in the activist press, in reaction to their criticism of his supposedly failing to properly defend their conduct of the arrests during the King riots. Around 2,000 copies of the free papers were taken from news rack
Newspaper vending machine
A newspaper vending machine or newspaper rack is a vending machine designed to distribute newspapers. Newspaper vending machines are used worldwide, and they are often one of the main distribution methods for newspaper publishers.-History:...
s by three officers and later found stored at the Mission District
Mission District, San Francisco, California
The Mission District, also commonly called "The Mission", is a neighborhood in San Francisco, California, USA, originally known as "the Mission lands" meaning the lands belonging to the sixth Alta California mission, Mission San Francisco de Asis...
police station. Hongisto was publicly accused of ordering the confiscation of the papers
Newspaper theft
Newspaper theft is a form of censorship in which a large portion of the print run of a newspaper or other publication is stolen or destroyed, with the intention of preventing others from reading it...
in attempt at censorship
Censorship
thumb|[[Book burning]] following the [[1973 Chilean coup d'état|1973 coup]] that installed the [[Military government of Chile |Pinochet regime]] in Chile...
, a charge he continued to deny up to his death. After a hearing, which many considered to be highly politicized, the San Francisco Police Commission found him culpable, and Mayor Jordan dismissed him. One of those three officers, Gary Delagnes, is now president of the San Francisco Police Officers Association
San Francisco Police Officers Association
The San Francisco Police Officers Association, the largest police trade union representing the San Francisco Police Department, was founded in 1946...
.
Later years
Hongisto left public life to become a full time businessman and real estate investor, apart from an unsuccessful run for County Supervisor in 2000.Hongisto died of a heart attack
Myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
on November 4, 2004, at the age of 67, leaving behind a son and daughter. He married four times, and was living with a girlfriend at the time of his death.
External links
- SF Chronicle obituary
- George Washington High School GWHS, San Francisco.