Preceded by Richard Hongisto Succeeded by Fred H. Lau | Rank Chief of Department Name Anthony Ribera | |
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Born January 25, 1945 (age 79) San Francisco, California ( 1945-01-25 ) | ||
Anthony "Tony" Ribera (born January 25, 1945) is the former Police chief of the City and County of San Francisco.
Contents
- Early life and education
- Chief of Police
- Sexual harassment allegations
- 2003 Mayoral race
- Retirement
- References
Early life and education
Ribera grew up in San Francisco's Richmond District where he attended George Washington High School and went on to earn a Ph.D in Public Administration from Golden Gate University.
Chief of Police
As Chief of Police, Ribera was known for his hair-trigger temper and aggressive "my way or the highway" approach which was detested in the Department. Deputy Chief Frank Reed responded to an interview about Ribera's style saying "Yes, we have had very lively and spirited discussions both in our private conferences and in other places, as well. The chief is very hard of hearing in his left ear so everything he says is in a loud tone.".
Sexual harassment allegations
In Ribera's second year as Chief of Police, Department spokeswoman Joanne Welsh accused Ribera of pressuring her for sexual favors following her firing from the Police Department's Public Affairs Office in 1993. Ribera denied the allegations and any rumors of him stepping down as Chief. In 1995, Ribera and the San Francisco Police Department ultimately won the court battle on Joanne Welsh's sexual harassment alligation but lost on her claim of gender bias, with jury agreeing she had suffered emotional distress and awarding her $56,835 in damages. General public opinion of Ribera deteriorated tremendously throughout the court case, as many accused Ribera of spending taxpayers dollars to defend himself an outrage.
2003 Mayoral race
Ribera ran as the sole Republican in the November 2003 Mayoral Race finishing in sixth place and garnering only 2.41% of the vote.
Retirement
Since the mayoral race, Ribera is now retired from San Francisco politics and is now an assistant professor at University of San Francisco where he teaches Law Enforcement. Ribera resides in San Francisco's Sunset District.