The people working to recall Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao said they gathered half of the signatures needed.
Lead organizer Brenda Harbin-Forte, a retired Alameda County Superior Court judge, said since they began three weeks ago, they’ve collected about 13,000 signatures. They need 25,000 valid signatures to put the recall on a ballot.
“I am just so gratified and just so happy with the response that we have gotten. And I see victory. She’s going to be recalled,” said Harbin-Forte.
At a Saturday rally held inside the former Le Cheval Restaurant in downtown, supporters of the recall blame Mayor Thao for what they said is the out-of-control crime.
“We are not safe in the City of Oakland. It’s not safe at all in the City of Oakland. We’re all looking over our backs in broad daylight,” said Pastor Marty Peters of Victory Baptist Church.
It’s why voter Julian Pierce said he recently signed the recall while out on a walk around Lake Merritt. Volunteers were collecting signatures there.
“I love Oakland, and I’ve been pretty disappointed with the response from the government,” said Pierce.
He’s lived in Oakland for 24 years. He said he never had any major safety issue on his block until this month.
“Someone got held up at gunpoint in front of my house. Actually, I just got a security camera. I just installed a security camera today because someone got held up at gunpoint in front of my house a week ago,” said Pierce.
Recall supporters blamed the mayor for failing to apply for millions of dollars in state money to fight retail crime. They’re also upset she fired police chief LeRonne Armstrong with no permanent replacement a year later.
And they pointed out many businesses closed down citing crime, especially along the Hegenberger Corridor.
“Let’s put some competent people in office and let’s get these incompetent people out of office,” said Pastor Peters.
Recall opponents said crime has been going up long before Mayor Thao took office.
“These (recall) efforts are baseless. And I believe they’re stemming from fear-mongering,” said Saabir Lockett, founder of Pathways to Peace and a supporter of the mayor.
Lockett credits the mayor for hiring more dispatchers to reduce 911 wait times and working with the state to install license plate readers to fight crime.
“This current mayor is doing everything in her power to prevent crime, to also provide measures to stop the rate of recidivism. And that’s kind of like burning a candle at both ends, right. You have on the one side prevention measures, on the other side re-entry wrap-around services,” said Lockett.
But recall supporters said whatever she’s doing, it’s not enough.
“The things that I cared about most were not being addressed,” said Pierce.
Recall organizers said they are confident they can collect double the amount needed by May 5. They want to put the recall on the November ballot.
