Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao (Yalonda M. James /San Francisco Chronicle via AP)
(KRON) — The search for Oakland’s police chief is slated to go on further as the city’s mayor, Sheng Thao, rejected a list of candidates presented to her by the Oakland Police Commission. Thao’s office confirmed the news to KRON4 on Wednesday, saying she has requested a new list from the commission.
“Mayor Thao has requested a new list of candidates from the Oakland Police Commission. The Oakland Police Chief leads a critical component of the Mayor’s comprehensive community safety strategy. Mayor Thao thanks the Oakland Police Commission for their continued service and looks forward to working with the commissioners to select the best possible candidate for Oakland,” the mayor’s office said in a statement.
Oakland has been without a police chief since February, when LeRonne Armstrong was fired from the position by Thao.
In October, the commission submitted a list of seven candidates to Thao. Armstrong was among those candidates. It is unclear if he was one of the candidates on the list Thao rejected Wednesday.
Thao said in September that she would call for a state of emergency if three candidates were not submitted to her by the end of the year.
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Armstrong was fired after an investigation showed misconduct by Oakland Police Department officers. He was later exonerated by a hearing officer who reviewed the circumstances surrounding his termination.
