Community-minded Paul Yep begins his new duty as a Police Commander

(SAN FRANCISCO) Paul Yep, a community-minded Police officer, officially takes over his new duty as a Police Commander this week. While the Chinese community celebrates the significant promotion, the community still hopes for more promotions within the Police Department to reflect the city's Asian population and demographics.

"I am humbled and grateful for the support of the Chinese community throughout my career in the SFPD. I also thank Chief Scott for my assignment to the Chief of Staff Office where I will oversee the Risk Management Office," Yep said on the first day as a Police Commander working in the headquarter.

"As a Commander, I will continue to support our community and work hard to stop API hate and violence in my new role in the SFPD. I will also continue to mentor and encourage officers from our community to improve public safety in our neighborhoods throughout San Francisco," said Yep.

In his new leadership position as a Police Commander, Yep oversees the risk management in the Police Department. Meanwhile, Daryl Fong, another Chinese American Police Commander, takes over his new assignment also starting this week to be in charge of the Metro Division which covers five police stations in the city. Before this new assignment, Fong was the commanding officer at the Community Engagement Division.

Greg Yee, Deputy Chief of the Administration Bureau, is retiring from the Police Department. With Yep's promotion, the number of the Asian officers at the Command Staff has not changed. Among the 15 members in total on the Command Staff, two of them are Asians which is way below the 36% Asian population citywide.

Yep was born in Chinese Hospital and grown up at Ping Yuen Public Housing in Chinatown. He is a graduate of Lowell High School and San Francisco State University.

Yep has never left Chinatown since he joined the Police Department in 1994. During the past 27 years, Yep is regarded as one of the police officers who are closely connected with the Chinatown community.

"I remember when I was young living in Ping Yuen. It was not safe. I could see the drug activities at the Ping Yuen stairwells. I could see from our apartment window that one person was chasing another person with a gun," Yep recalled.

"Even though I was very young at that time, I didn't want any other child would have the same experience like me growing up in this unsafe environment. I didn't think about being a police officer at that time. But at the young age by watching television with the police actions in the movies, I believe those images might play a role for me to become a police officer as my career," said Yep.

"My mom was a single parent living in Ping Yuen taking care of me and my brother. My dad died when I was four years old. My mom was very amazing by working a few jobs to support both of us. She was a garment worker, a hotel worker, and more. Her goal was to provide the best education for two of us," Yep expressed his gratitude to his mom for working so hard. She sent Yep to the Saint Mary School, a private school in Chinatown.

Yep joined the Police Department in 1994. He was first promoted to be a sergeant in 2007. He was very active at the Asian Peace Officers Association for years and became its President in 2009. Yep was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant in 2012.

In 2016, Yep was promoted to the rank of Captain and first assigned to be the commanding officer at Richmond Police Station. Yep was named as the Central Station Captain in 2017 and was transferred to the Administration Bureau in 2018, only one year after he was the Captain in Central Station.

All these years Yep has been so popular in the Chinese community. Charles Chow and a number of the community leaders showed up at the Police Commission meeting in City Hall to protest against the transfer.

Chow is a long time supporter of Yep since he was the Captain at Richmond Station. Chow is also a resident of Richmond District and has been a member of the Central Station Advisory Board for years. "Paul might not be as vocal as other police leaders, but Paul always works so hard and cares for the community," said Chow.

"I remember one time I did file a police report to the Central Station, Paul came with the officers to the scene to get more information for himself. Paul is a model police officer," Chow continued to highly praise Yep on his leadership.

There are two more Chinese American Police Captains, Greg Mar and Dominic Yin, retiring this year. The Chinese community is concerned with fewer and fewer Asian officers on the mid- to upper-levels of the management in the Police Department.

"I am aware of it and have already started working on it by speaking to Chief Scott and the Asian officers," said Police Commissioner Larry Yee.

Henry Lam, President of the Asian Peace Officers Association, stated, "The San Francisco Asian Peace Officers Association are very happy that Chief William Scott promoted long time SFAPOA member Paul Yep to the rank of Commander. Chief Scott’s selection shows his dedication to promote members to the command staff that reflects the communities we serve."

"With the upcoming retirements of three of our longtime SFAPOA members, who are also from the AAPI community, there is a push to fill those positions with SFAPOA/AAPI members. In the coming weeks, there will be potential for more promotions of quite a number of SFAPOA members to the ranks of captains, lieutenants, and sergeants," said Lam. "As the President of the SFAPOA, I have been meeting monthly with Chief Scott and have continued to address this concern with him throughout the promotional process."

Marlene Tran, a long time community leaders in Visitacion Valley, has followed the updates on the Asian police officers’ promotions for years. "I could see SF’s ongoing unfair and lack of promotions of Asian candidates in all ranks. Added to the already challenging recruit of Asian police officers and firefighters, the lack of their promotions, especially in the upper levels, is an added barrier for them to consider these careers.”

“It’s both unfair to them and 35% of Chinese residents in San Francisco. Will the SF Ethics Dept and our newly-appointed City Attorney help to monitor civil service promotions in all City departments to make it fair and equitable for all?" Tran stated.

Hazel Lee, a community leader at the Portola neighborhood, is hopeful that the Police Department would promote more Asian officers to all levels of positions. "Members of the Police Department should reflect the demographics of the city. It will also make the police service more effective and will be safer for the community," said Lee.