Oakland is restarting its search for a permanent police chief after Mayor Sheng Thao rejected a list of three candidates last week.
The rejected applicants included former chief LeRonne Armstrong, who Thao fired in February while he was on administrative leave. KTVU reported that the other two candidates were San Leandro Police Chief Abdul Pridgen, who was placed on administrative leave in September as the city investigates whether he violated unspecified departmental policies, and Kevin Hall, the assistant police chief of Tucson, Arizona. Pridgen had previously applied for the Oakland chief role, and Hall was a finalist for the police chief job in Seattle in 2022.
Thao had previously said she lost her trust in Armstrong and would not consider him as an applicant after he publicly criticized OPD’s federal monitor and made other statements at political rallies while he was still being investigated for allegedly failing to uphold the department’s discipline system.
Armstrong said in a statement that it is “unfair” he is unable to continue serving the people of Oakland.
A spokesperson for the mayor told media outlets that the mayor wanted to review more candidates to make a “well informed decision on the best police chief for Oakland.” Her office also thanked the Oakland Police Commission for its service.
In the meantime, Darren Allison will continue to serve as interim police chief, as he has since Armstrong’s termination.
Under the City Charter, the police commission is supposed to send the mayor at least three candidates for the top cop job. Shortly after the mayor’s announcement, the commission agreed to reopen the recruitment process, and Chair Marsha Peterson announced a new timeline for the search process. January 1 through January 31 will be an open recruitment period where applicants can apply for the job. In February the commission will evaluate applicants. On March 1, a final list of names will be sent to the mayor. Peterson also said the commission will observe a media blackout during this period to protect the confidentiality of applicants.
“We are committed to finding the best candidate for Oakland,” Peterson said in a statement. “We will inform the public about important updates as they arise.”
Under the commission’s previous timeline, Thao was supposed to receive a list of candidates before the end of October 2023. Tyfahra Milele, the previous commission chair, announced a list of seven “top” candidates in early October, which she said included Armstrong. Several commissioners clashed with Milele over her leadership style and a belief that she was creating a fast-track process for Armstrong. Three commissioners, including Peterson, boycotted commission meetings for several weeks to prevent Milele from holding meetings until she and Vice Chair David Jordan termed out.
The commission elected new leaders on October 20, but it took another two months before the body agreed to send a list of names to Thao. Commissioner Wilson Riles opposed this decision, telling The Oaklandside he believed the commission was making a mistake forwarding the names it had on hand to the mayor.The Oakland Police Department has been able to function without a permanent chief. But some community activists and residents have expressed frustration with the commission and the mayor for failing to hire a chief. According to a recent department staffing report, one of the top reasons for employees leaving OPD in 2023 was dissatisfaction with city leadership.
