San Diego Mayor-elect Kevin Faulconer is naming Assistant Police Chief Shelley Zimmerman to succeed Chief Bill Lansdowne, who will retire Monday after 10 years heading the San Diego Police Department, reports the Los Angeles Times. Zimmerman, 54, has been with the San Diego department for 31 years. She is a graduate of Ohio State University. She will be the first woman to be chief in department history.
Faulconer said Zimmerman “has done it all.” He said she has experience with budgeting, narcotics, vice, undercover work and, for the last few years, “has been the face of the department.” Faulconer's announcement comes one day after Lansdowne, 69, announced that he is retiring from the department, which has 1,856 sworn officers. Faulconer expects Zimmerman to be confirmed as early as next week.