3 candidates for Oakland police chief submitted to Mayor Sheng Thao's office
Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao's office said Thursday it has now received a list of three candidates for police chief from the city's Police Commission, 10 months after the firing of former Police Chief LeRonne Armstrong.
Neither the mayor's office nor the Police Commission revealed whose names are on the list.
"Respecting the confidentiality of candidates that are currently employed and understanding that the mayor is the hiring official, on Thursday, December 14, 2023, the Oakland Police Commission sent 3 names of candidates for the Chief of Police position from which the mayor can choose or reject using whatever vetting process she chooses," said commission chair Marsha Carpenter Peterson in an email to KPIX.
"Oakland is conducting our due diligence. In order to maintain the integrity of the hiring process we are not identifying the candidates," said Thao's spokesman Francis Zamora in an email to KPIX. "This is an important decision and Mayor Thao will take the time that is necessary to select the person that will lead the Oakland Police Department. Finding the right leader for the police department is a priority and Mayor Thao intends to conduct this process in a timely manner."
Thao will now either choose the new chief from that list or request the commission to make a new one.
Armstrong and retired Antioch Police Chief Steven Ford were among the candidates the commission was considering.
Thao fired Armstrong in February after an independent report cited a failure of leadership in his handling of two misconduct cases involving the same officer.
But a retired judge tasked with reviewing Armstrong's appeal found, "There is no evidence that the deficits in the investigation were due to a failure of leadership by anyone including Chief Armstrong, or by any lack of commitment to hold members of the OPD accountable."
The judge also called for the Thao's initial 30-day suspension of Armstrong to be removed from his record. Thao fired back saying her decision to fire the Armstrong wasn't based on the initial report, but rather his knee-jerk reaction to it.
The Oakland NAACP has also called for his reinstatement.