We’re now learning that SFPD Chief Bill Scott already had his next job lined up when he resigned Wednesday, and he’s heading back to LA to head the newly formed LA Metropolitan Transportation Authority Police Department.

When news broke Wednesday morning that SFPD Chief Bill Scott was resigning, we noted there had been rumors that new Mayor Daniel Luie wanted him out. And it seemed notable that Scott said he was leaving to pursue a "new opportunity," which sure sounded like he already had something else lined up.  

Indeed, he did. KTVU reports that Scott will take over as the chief of the LA Metropolitan Transportation Authority Police Department, a department that does not yet exist, as the LAMTA is currently policed by whatever officers happen to work in any particular jurisdiction the transit vehicles are running through. So they'll kind of be like BART Police. The position takes on special importance, considering LA will be hosting the World Cup in 2026 and the Summer Olympics in 2028.

"This is about creating something truly meaningful. It's about building a department that reflects the values of LA, community safety and progress," Scott said at his introductory press conference in LA, according to our former sister site LAist. "I'm ready, I'm grateful, and I'm all in."

Scott was with the LAPD for 27 years before Ed Lee appointed him as SFPD Chief in 2016, so he knows the lay of that land.

LAist apparently knew all of this the day before the announcement, but kept it under wraps before the official announcement came. It seems LA Metro CEO Stephanie Wiggins tipped them off in an exclusive interview on Tuesday.

“I’m really excited about the building blocks that we have here with someone of the caliber of Chief Scott to really be our leader in this,” Wiggins told LAist Tuesday. “This is the first big milestone of setting up the department.”

So yes, this was all clearly orchestrated, and we’re guessing Lurie knew he'd be replacing Scott for weeks, if not months. After all, our new interim police chief is Lurie’s Chief of Public Safety Paul Yep, who was appointed in January, perhaps with the specific intention of temporarily replacing Scott. It seems they just gave Scott enough runway to find a new position before going public.

Chief Scott’s tenure will inevitably face some criticism for the fentanyl overdose crisis (which has receded, to whatever degree the police chief has anything to do with that), and for the car break-in scourge (which has been drastically curtailed). But most importantly, Chief Scott’s administration saw homicides hit a 64-year-low. If you don’t think the homicide rate is a crucially important crime metric, then I don’t know what to tell you.  

In a further sign this was all orchestrated, Scott has agreed to stick around with the SFPD for the next six weeks to aid in the transition. Mayor Lurie has not made any remarks about the timeline for a permanent SFPD chief successor.

Related: SFPD Chief Bill Scott Is Stepping Down — Did Lurie Push Him Out? [SFist]

Image: @DanielLurie via Twitter