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Heather Jeanne Fong (, born 1956) is an American security official and the former chief of police for San Francisco, California, United States from 2004 to 2009. She is the first woman to lead the San Francisco Police Department, and the first Asian American woman to head a major metropolitan city police force. She is also the second Asian American police chief in SFPD history, the other being Fred Lau.
Fong served as the assistant secretary for state and local law enforcement in the Department of Homeland Security from July 31, 2023. to January 20, 2025. She previously served in the same role from November 17, 2014 through the end of the Obama administration.
In high school, Fong joined the Police Athletic League's cadet academy for two years. She graduated from St. Rose Academy in Western Addition, San Francisco in 1974.
Fong grew up in the North Beach neighborhood of San Francisco and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of San Francisco and a Master of Social Work degree from San Francisco State University. In college, Fong was a member of the United States Air Force ROTC and worked as a police cadet.
Fong graduated from the police academy on August 15, 1977. At the time, the San Francisco Police Department was under pressure to hire more minorities and women, as they had only two Asian American officers and no female officers in 1974.
She was promoted to lieutenant in 1993, captain in 1994, commander in 1998, deputy chief in 2000, and assistant chief in 2003. In 1996, Chief Fred Lau assigned Fong to captain the department's Central Station, which oversees Chinatown, North Beach, Union Square and the Financial District.
Fong was assigned to the Special Operations Division in August 1998 when she was promoted to commander. While there, she was responsible for the Traffic, Tactical, and MUNI Transit companies. In June 2000, upon promotion to deputy chief, she was assigned to the Field Operations Bureau, where she managed the uniformed patrol personnel of the San Francisco Police Department. In August 2002, she was assigned to oversee the Administration Bureau. In May 2003, she was appointed assistant chief of police.
/ref> Litigation is presently ongoing for the plaintiff officers, 39 in total and many part of the original Civil Service Commission complaint who are now retired.
Fong receives some $264,000 annually in pension payments.Heather Knight, S.F. pays supplemental pensions to retired brass, San Francisco Chronicle (March 13, 2011). The high amount of pension payments to Fong and other retired top officials in San Francisco's police and fire departments has prompted critical comment.Matier & Ross, S.F. retirees' solid-golden years, San Francisco Chronicle (June 1, 2009).
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