Oakland Police Commission selects 3 police chief candidates
OAKLAND, Calif. - Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao received a list of three candidates for the city's next police chief. The candidates were brought forward last week by the Police Commission. The question is, who is on the list?
On Monday, Francis Zamora, chief of communications for Mayor Sheng Thao, told KTVU the list will not be made public in order to maintain the integrity of the hiring process.
The Oakland Police Commission voted 5-1 to submit a list of three candidates to Thao in a public meeting Thursday evening.
Commissioner Wilson Riles Jr. cast the sole no vote, telling The Oaklandside that he would rather have the mayor declare a state of emergency and conduct the recruitment herself.
"I think that will bring a better outcome than the candidates that we are sending," he told The Oaklandside.
Riles said that the process for hiring a chief was "corrupted" when the previous commission leaders announced a list of seven candidates and publicly named one of them: former Police Chief LeRonne Armstrong.
Police Commission Chair Marsha Peterson said in an email that they are respecting the confidentiality of the candidates that are currently employed.
"The process was far more transparent last time," said Jim Chanin, an attorney who was on the selection panel of the police commission when former Mayor Libby Schaaf selected LeRonne Armstrong.
He said there was a public meeting held before Schaaf made her decision.
A detailed view of a patch for the Oakland Police ((Photo by Brandon Sloter/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images))
"I think it’s really important that they’re fully vetted to the public, that they have the opportunity to have the maximum support from the community," said Chanin.
Other members of the public also want to weigh in on the choice for top cop.
"We think it would be helpful if the city held a virtual public interview process where the public submitted questions ahead of time," said Millie Cleveland, chair of the Coalition for Police Accountability.
The mayor’s spokesperson said a public forum for appointees was never done before 2020 and it’s not required under the charter.
In an email to KTVU on Monday, Thao's office said the mayor will "conduct her due diligence in reviewing the candidates."
The mayor can select from the list or ask the police commission to provide her with a new list of candidates.
"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," her office statement said.
Thao did not give a final end date on when she would make that decision.
"Finding the right leader for the police department is a priority and Mayor Thao intends to conduct this process in a timely manner," according to her office.
Thao fired Armstrong in February.
There is no word on whether Armstrong is on the list, but Thao has previously stated that she would not rehire him.