Oakland welcomes new police chief

OAKLAND, Calif. - For the first time on Wednesday, Oakland residents heard from their new police chief, Floyd Mitchell, an acknowledged outsider who said he has much to learn and a lot to give.

"I will work tirelessly to earn the trust, respect and confidence in my Police Department members, Oakland's residents and its businesses," Mitchell said to a receptive crowd at City Hall.

Mayor Sheng Thao said Mitchell's soft-spoken style belies a strong work ethic.

"He's not flashy, but he will roll up his sleeves and do the real work, that real, impactful work to ensure our community's success," said Thao, who named Mitchell as police chief more than a year after she fired his predecessor, Oakland police veteran LeRonne Armstrong, after a pair of misconduct strategies involving a police sergeant.

Mitchell said, "My approach is high visibility, responsible, proactive policing that is procedurally just, data-driven, and grounded in evidence-based strategies."

He said he's committed to continuing to reform the department, which is just short of getting out of federal oversight. 

"I am going to sit down with the monitor and identify specifically what we need to do and how we need to do it to get to the end of this road," he said.

Oakland welcomed their new police Floyd Mitchell on Wednesday, March 27, 2024.

KTVU asked what qualifies him to be able to answer to many bosses, including the Police Commission, the mayor and the federal monitor.

"I'm just going to say my experience, just in trying to collaborate and build strong relationships with everyone involved. Everyone has a seat at the table. And what we all do and say matters," Mitchell said.

Councilmember Treva Reid, who represents East Oakland said, "I think he said a lot of things that we want to hear. He's going to be proactive, he's going to be responsive, he's going to have deep community engagement and he's going to be a guardian of what is the best interests of this city."

City Council President Nikki Fortunato Bas agreed, saying, "I'm absolutely optimistic. We have learned about his efforts around crime reduction, about community-led, community-involved policing."

Thao selected Mitchell from a slate of four candidates brought to her by the Police Commission.

It's been a long process to find his replacement, which included friction between Thao and some of the commissioners.

Oakland welcomed their new police Floyd Mitchell on Wednesday, March 27, 2024.

"Mitchell is a strong leader, a smart crime fighter who delivers results," Thao said last week. "His commitment to proven crime-reduction strategies, including proactive policing and strong officer-community engagement, vaulted him to the top of the list. "

The Oakland chapter of the NAACP, which had lobbied for Armstrong and criticized Thao for firing him, issued a statement in support of her choice of Mitchell.

"The long vacancy of this critical position caused a real sense of lawlessness in Oakland, and we are glad to see that the city is finally moving forward," president Cynthia Adams wrote. "The NAACP Oakland branch welcomes Police Chief Floyd Mitchell and his family to the city of Oakland."

Mitchell comes to Oakland from Texas, where he was most recently the police chief in Lubbock for four years, and he was also the chief in Temple, Texas, as well. 

Before that, he was a police officer in Kansas City, Mo. for 25 years.

He left his position in Lubbock in September of last year after the department was criticized for an increased number of unanswered 911 calls.

Local leaders have said Mitchell will need to do his homework and learn the culture of the city and department here in Oakland and he's stepping into a tough position.

Mitchell doesn’t have a set start date yet, but he’s expected to officially take over the position in late April or early May. 

Henry Lee is a KTVU crime reporter. E-mail Henry at Henry.Lee@fox.com and follow him on Twitter @henrykleeKTVU and www.facebook.com/henrykleefan