Lew will take the reins from interim Chief Paul Yep, who has led the department since Bill Scott stepped down in May.
"Derrick Lew has been shaped by this city, earning his stripes on the street and earning trust in communities across the city. He knows this city, he knows this department, and he knows the communities we serve," Lurie said in a statement. "From my first day in office, I've said that public safety is my top priority, and it will always be my top priority."
The appointment process received extra scrutiny after the embarrassingly short-lived term of Supervisor Isabella "Beya" Alcaraz, also selected by the mayor. But unlike that choice, the candidates for police chief were vetted via a search firm hired by the city and through numerous interviews with the commission.
"As chief, I will continue acting with urgency to get more officers into the department, to attack the drug crisis, to improve street conditions, and to ensure San Francisco remains one of the safest cities in the country," Lew said in a statement.
Lew, who has extensive investigative and drug enforcement experience, will take over a department increasingly focused on reining in drug dealing and tackling quality-of-life issues, while contending with longstanding staffing shortfalls.
In many ways, Lew has been handed a department in good standing. It has a large, $840 million budget and new technological resources, and answers to a weakened civilian commission. He also has the support of a mayor and the moderate block of supervisors mostly aligned on a tough-on-crime approach to drug dealing and use.