San Francisco's newly appointed police chief, Derrick Lew, is taking office with an ambitious promise: "I truly believe we're entering a golden era in San Francisco."

His selection marks the culmination of a nationwide search by Mayor Daniel Lurie, who announced Lew as the successor to former Chief Bill Scott, who led the department since 2017, and left to head the Los Angeles Metro Police.

Lew, a San Francisco native, called the appointment "the honor of a lifetime," reflecting on a path he once never expected to take. After a short stint in finance, he returned home to pursue a career in law enforcement and, over two decades, rose steadily through the ranks/. He began as an officer at Bayview and Mission Stations, advancing to sergeant at Central Station, then captain of Ingleside.

Most recently, Lew oversaw the city's Drug Market Coordination Center, a multi-agency effort aimed at disrupting San Francisco's fentanyl crisis.

"Addressing the drug crisis is not up for debate," he said in his announcement on the steps of the Hall of Justice. "We will continue the work and ensure the streets are clean and safe."

Lew steps into the top job at a pivotal moment. The department remains roughly 500 officers short, a gap he says will shape the earliest phase of his leadership.

"It's right near the top if not the top," Lew told CBS News Bay Area of his recruitment priority, "because our officers right now are out here every day, we're asking a lot of them working mandatory overtime, so getting them relief is top of mind."

The shortage has been felt widely across San Francisco, including in Bernal Heights, where a woman was struck and killed by a driver two months ago. Resident Alfredo Fletes said he hopes a fully staffed department could bring stronger traffic enforcement to neighborhood corridors like Cortland Avenue.

"I'd like to see the new chief take pedestrian safety seriously," he said. "I feel most unsafe when cars speed by. More foot patrols would make a big difference."

Mayor Lurie said Lew's deep ties to the city and extensive experience within the department made him the clear choice. "He's born and raised in San Francisco. He's overseen complex operations. I've seen him in action," Lurie said. "He is the next-generation leader of the department, the leader this city needs and deserves."

With citywide crime down 25% from last year, Lew inherits a department seeking stability, visibility, and renewed public trust. For Lew, the mission is personal.

"I've served SFPD for two decades and wouldn't want to work anywhere else," he said. "My goal is to make San Francisco the safest city in America."