CHIEF WILLIAM HAZARD PRINGLE

SDPD 07/28/1891 - 08/28/1891

1829 - 03/21/1910

With William Crawford forced to leave office abruptly, the Police Commission quickly chose rancher and fellow commissioner, William Pringle as the new chief.

It was an odd choice. Other than serving as a commissioner, Pringle had no law enforcement experience and had not even been asked if he wanted the job. When he received notice he was now chief, Pringle politely declined however the city refused to accept his answer for a full month.

For the purposes of maintaining a continuous historical timeline, the San Diego Police Department has always listed Pringle as the third chief despite the fact he never officially took office.

Pringle would continue to serve as a police commissioner until well into the 20th Century.  His son George was hired as an SDPD Patrolman in 1894. When he retired in 1936 he set a record for service within the SDPD that lasted until 2002.