Oakland mayor names new police chief, ending yearlong vacancy

OAKLAND — Mayor Sheng Thao named a northwest Texas police chief as the new head of the Oakland Police Department on Friday, ending a yearlong search to fill one of the city’s most high-profile vacancies.

The mayor named Floyd Mitchell — a lawman of more than 30 years who recently served as a police chief in Lubbock, Texas — as Oakland’s top cop, according to a press release Friday morning.

The city did not announce a specific start date for Mitchell, saying only that he’d begin leading the department sometime between late April and early May. A news conference will be held next week to introduce Mitchell to the public, officials said.

“Floyd Mitchell is a strong leader and smart crime fighter who delivers results,” Thao said in a statement accompanying her press release. “His commitment to proven crime reduction strategies including proactive policing and strong officer-community engagement vaulted him to the top of the list. As our city’s top police officer, Chief Mitchell will join the talented public safety leadership team we have assembled and lead the law enforcement elements of Oakland’s comprehensive public safety strategy.”

Michell won out over three other candidates who were announced in late February, including two from elsewhere in the country and another from just down Interstate 880, in San Leandro.

In a statement accompanying Thao’s announcement, Mitchell expressed excitement at the “unique opportunity” awaiting him in Oakland.

“Our duty is to promote safety, prevent crime, and pursue justice for all we serve by collaborating and communicating with our community,” Mitchell’s statement said. “As Oakland’s police chief I look forward to working together with our residents, businesses owners, city leadership, and members of the police commission to build a stronger and safer Oakland.”

The Oakland Police Officers’ Association welcomed Mitchell in a statement that expressed optimism in “a promising future.” In doing so, the police union lauded interim Chief Darren Allison, who held the position for 14 months, “with unwavering dedication and commitment.”

“We are pleased that the uncertainty regarding the Oakland Chief of Police position has been resolved,” said Sgt. Huy Nguyen, the union’s president. “Oakland’s diligent Police Officers eagerly anticipate collaborating with Chief Mitchell in serving our community.”

The appointment of Mitchell ends an arduous, often rocky process to fill a position left vacant when Thao unceremoniously fired previous police chief LeRonne Armstrong in early 2023.

Thao initially placed Armstrong on leave in January 2023 after a report that found “systemic deficiencies” in how his department investigated misconduct cases. She fired him nearly a month later, citing his public statements downplaying the actions of a police sergeant whose misconduct led to a series of cover-ups by higher-ranking officers. Armstrong also publicly criticized the mayor and OPD’s federal monitor, Robert Warshaw.

Throughout the following year, Armstrong continued to figure heavily into discussions for who would next lead the department. The Oakland Police Commission included him on its initial three-person list of recommended candidates in late 2023 — a slate that Thao flatly rejected in late December.

Armstrong has since filed a lawsuit against the city and Mayor Sheng Thao, alleging he was wrongfully terminated over a cover-up scandal.

Just weeks ago, the Oakland Police Commission recommended a new set of candidates. They included Mitchell, as well as Abdul Pridgen, the former police chief in San Leandro; Lisa Davis, the assistant chief in Cincinnati; and Louis Molina, who has served as a public safety official in New York since last fall.

A career policeman who also previously served in the Air Force, Mitchell has served as a police chief three other times, mainly in Missouri and Texas. He first spent 25 years with the police department in Kansas City, Mo., where he rose through the ranks to become police chief. After retiring from there, he went on to serve as police chief in two Texas cities: Temple, and then Lubbock.

He left his latest post in Lubbock last September with a $50,000 settlement amid scrutiny of his handling of emergency dispatcher staffing, according to news outlet KCBD. Yearly unanswered 911 calls spiked under Mitchell’s watch while the number of 911 dispatcher positions fell, the station reported.

Oakland has had its own struggles with 911 response, garnering warnings from the state, though city officials said earlier this year that more than a dozen previous dispatcher vacancies had been reduced to just four openings.

Check back for updates to this developing story.