Sudden retirement of embattled Antioch police chief sends shockwaves through community
ANTIOCH -- As the Antioch Police Department already embroiled in a racist text scandal faces the crisis of its chief suddenly retiring, locals and Antioch officials on Thursday weighed in on his abrupt announcement and what lies ahead.
Antioch Police Chief Steven Ford announced on Wednesday night he is stepping down from the position effective Aug. 11.
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Ford's tenure has been marred by his department being investigated by the FBI and the Contra Costa County District Attorney for the past year-and-a-half for civil rights violations stemming from racist text messages sent by officers.
The FBI investigation into officer misconduct started in march of last year. Ford became interim chief a month later and officially got the job in November.
This past April, the FBI uncovered dozens of racist and homophobic texts allegedly sent back and forth between officers for years.
Nearly half the force has been put on leave. The scandal has led to calls for a federal takeover of the department.
The Contra Costa County chapter of the NAACP praised Ford for taking accountability for problems that didn't happen on his watch.
"Thank you Chief Ford, for accepting the task that was unseen by many," said Odessa Lefrancois of the Contra Costa NAACP. "The ability to work with people who were ready to undermine your leadership before you started is amazing."
The group also called for robust community involvement in choosing the city's next interim and permanent police chief.
At least 45 officers of the department's approximately 100 officers -- including 16 in management positions -- have been implicated in a racist and homophobic texting scandal that included threats against Antioch Mayor Lamar Thorpe, who is Black, and other African Americans and people of color.
Officers involved in the scandal referred to Ford, who is Black, as a "gorilla" in one text, according to the Contra Costa County District Attorney's Office.
Lefrancois said Ford worked for months to facilitate difficult conversations, which he never ran away from. She also praised his outreach to the entire community.
"He was at the barber shop, the beauty shop, he was at the bank, he was at the car wash, he was everywhere, letting them know that you have a police department that really cares about you," she said.
Kimberly Payton, vice president of the East County NAACP, said that their organization was "very sad" that Ford chose to retire and that he worked tirelessly with them.
"While we are sorry that the chief is leaving, the healing and this community needs help to move forward. That includes getting the city leadership, the governance of city officials, City Council, the mayor's office on board to continue his efforts of reaching out and making things right. Nobody likes to be called gorillas or anything like that. It is this city's leadership's job to bring the community together and show transparency and community building."
"Ford had an insurmountable task," said NAACP education committee member Mike Dupray. "Our police departments have deep roots in racist slavery and the racist and misogynistic culture in our police departments persist to this day. It must be rooted out and changed either on its own or by force, and on its own ain't working."
Asked if Ford was taking the fall for a fractured department and perhaps letting others off the hook, Lefrancois said she disagreed.
"Sometimes people come into a situation or into a place just for a short period of time to accomplish something," she said. "And that might have been the reason that he was drawn to here. Maybe not to stay, but to facilitate a healing.
In a community facing a police scandal and a policing crisis, the departure of the chief is another big headline that isn't entirely surprising.
"I have mixed feelings about it," said activist Gigi Crowder. "But I understand that probably so much damage has been done that he could not repair the damage. He doesn't have trust."
Crowder's day job is providing mental health services. She's made it a personal quest to help fix the troubled Antioch Police Department. She says the chief's departure raises questions about reforms, and something else.
"Each day you pick up the news and you see crime in Antioch," she said. "As a resident of Antioch, I feel like we are getting the short end of the stick -- regardless of what our ethnic background is -- because of the response times. All the things that I see happening. Many of my friends' cars are getting broken into."
"That's a real concern people have," responded Antioch Mayor Lamar Thorpe, who reiterated his call for the officers on leave to be fired.
"That's why I'm going to continue to say that the officers who are on administrative leave related to this racist police text, racist text messaging scandal, need to be fired. So that we can continue to hire new recruits," Thorpe told KPIX. "Hiring someone from the Academy takes six months. And so those individuals are literally holding us hostage."
That was a request that was made to Chief Ford but the mayor says he has not spoked with Ford about the decision to retire.
"At this point, given where we're at with the FBI investigation," Thorpe said. "The racist text message scandal, what's going to happen tomorrow. Nothing comes as a surprise anymore."
So a city with a police department in turmoil is now without a chief who was supposed to help navigate the storm.
"For me it's not so much who is the next police chief, but what actions are in place and is that police chief going to work closely with the community to start building trust again," Crowder said.
Back in April, Ford told CBS News Bay Area he wanted to see the department through the scandal.
"I could walk away now. But I choose to stay. You know, I'm committed to the organization. I'm committed to the profession," said Ford. "I'm supposed to be here right now in this moment. I feel that all the experiences, all the opportunities throughout my career, personal, professional, academic, I feel that they have all culminated into this moment. And I don't believe anything happens by chance. This was supposed to be."
Ford is expected to testify at a hearing about the scandal Friday.
Several Antioch officers were subpoenaed, but multiple officers said they can't show up to court because they are out on injury leave.
Ford's resignation comes just weeks after Antioch's city manager announced his resignation in late June.
The acting city manager could make the call on appointing a new chief. The Antioch City Council is expected to discuss the search at its meeting next Tuesday.
