Two leading San Francisco police officials have been demoted in connection with the scandal at the city’s police lab.

KCBS and Chronicle Insider Phil Matier reports in Wednesday’s Matier and Ross column that Assistant Chief Kevin Cashman and Commander John Loftus have been demoted to captain.

Meantime, a third official who was caught up in the scandal, Assistant Chief Morris Tabak, is expected to retire.

Cashman, Loftus and Tabak were criticized for failing to order a criminal probe after allegations that lab tech Deborah Madden had stolen cocaine surfaced last year.