Law Enforcement Offical.  His controversial career spanned three states over 30 years. A native of Minnesota, Hongisto moved with his family to San Francisco in 1942. In 1961 he joined the San Francisco Police Department where he soon earned the reputation of being an activist. Ten years later he was elected Sheriff of San Francisco County and served as such until his resignation in 1977. In April of that year he gained attention when, as sheriff, he was arrested and jailed for five days for contempt of court after refusing to enforce a court order to evict elderly residents from Chinatown’s International Hotel. After his resignation, he moved to Ohio where he was appointed Chief of the Cleveland Police Department by then Mayor Dennis Kucinich; he held the post for three months before being fired. In 1979 he was appointed Commissioner of the New York State prison system,  but resigned after the New York State Senate refused to confirm his appointment. Returning to San Francisco, he was elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in 1980,  serving until he was elected city assessor in 1990. After failing to be elected mayor of San Francisco in 1991, he was appointed Chief of the San Francisco Police Department in 1992 by then Mayor Frank Jordan, himself a former chief. Shortly after his appointment, San Francisco was rocked by riots caused by the verdict in the Rodney King case. Chief Hongisto responded by ordering the arrests of hundreds of protestors. When the San Francisco Bay Times published an unflattering image of him,  members of the SFPD confiscated thousands of copies of the paper. Receiving full blame for the department’s actions, Hongisto was fired after serving only 45 days as chief. (bio by: G.Photographer)  Family links:  Parents:  Raymond Reuben Hongisto (1915 – 1989)  Gladys Marian Longrie Hongisto (1913 – 2002)  Spouse:  Susan Chavez Hongisto (1959 – 1994)