SF District Attorney George Gascon resigns to 'explore run' in LA

San Francisco District Attorney George Gascon on Thursday announced his resignation. 

Gascon, who's served in the position for the past nine years, submitted his formal resignation to Mayor London Breed and will leave his post effective Friday, Oct. 18. 

After that, Cristine Soto DeBerry, Gascon's's current chief of staff will temporarily take his place until a new district attorney is either appointed by the mayor or elected in the November elections. However, a source told KTVU that the mayor is expected to name Suzy Loftus, former San Francisco Police Commission president, as the interim DA. 

Gascon also sent a letter to colleagues saying he plans to return to Los Angeles to "explore a run for District Attorney."

"Making our communities safer and more equitable remains my life's work, and I'm simply not ready to slow down and put public service behind," the letter reads in part. 

The new move means Gascon could face-off against Los Angeles County's current top prosecutor Jackie Lacey, according to the Los Angeles Times

Just a year ago, Gascon announced he would not seek re-election this year, citing his 90-year-old mother's failing health at the time and a desire to be there for her.

Back home the sudden move garnered reaction from the mayor's office. 

“People depend on the District Attorney to keep our residents and communities safe each and every day. We can't afford to have an absence of leadership in the DA's Office because victims of crime need to be represented and  people who commit crimes in our city need to be held accountable," a statement from Mayor Breed's office read. 

There was no love lost from the San Francisco Police Officers Association. In their own letter they wrote in part, "We are praying for the residents of Los Angeles hoping that George Gascon doe not do to their city what he did to San Francisco during his tenure..."

The POA cited Gascon's authorship of Prop 47 as the reason for a "criminal justice revolving door" and "double digit increases in crime."  Their closing line in their letter about the resignation was, "good riddance." 

SF Police Chief William Scott said in a tweet, "I want to thank District Attorney @GeorgeGascon for his service and commitment to our city. I wish him well with his future endeavors and look forward to continuing to work with @SFDAOffice to address our city's challenges." 

Gascon is the first Latino to be San Francisco's district attorney. He was appointed in 2011, succeeding Kamala Harris who was elected as the state's attorney general and is now a U.S. senator.  

Bay City News reporter Daniel Montes contributed to this report. 

Gascon's Full Resignation Letter to Colleagues (Obtained by KTVU)