CALIFORNIA BRIEFING / SAN FRANCISCO

Mayor Gavin Newsom says he has chosen Mesa, Ariz., Police Chief George Gascon as the city’s next chief of police. Newsom told the San Francisco Chronicle on Tuesday that Gascon, a former LAPD assistant police chief, is a “nuts-and-bolts-type of chief, a cop’s cop and very active in community policing.” Gascon, 55, has been Mesa’s police chief since 2006. In L.A., Gascon was instrumental in helping Chief William J. Bratton devise a scientific crime-fighting strategy that many credit with the city’s drop in crime over the last few years.

Mesa police issued a statement Tuesday saying Gascon was not confirming the appointment and was not available for interviews. An official statement from Gascon was expected today.