Oakland's New Police Chief Starts First Week After Long, Contentious Search

Oakland’s new police chief started his post this week, taking the reins of a long-embattled department that did not have a permanent leader for more than a year.

Floyd Mitchell previously served as the first Black police chief of Lubbock, Texas, and is originally from Kansas City, Missouri, where he said he spent most of his law enforcement career.

On his first day on Monday, Mitchell addressed the next class of Oakland’s police academy.

“I have been in this profession probably longer than most of you have been alive. I’ve been in here for almost 35 years,” he said. “And this is one of the most honorable and greatest professions that you can choose.”

Mitchell said he will spend the rest of the week getting “brought up to speed on several different things going on within the Oakland Police Department and within this community.”

Mitchell takes over a police department under federal oversight for two decades due to a civil rights lawsuit over widespread officer misconduct.

Early last year, Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao fired Chief LeRonne Armstrong over allegations that the police department improperly investigated misconduct charges against a sergeant accused of a hit-and-run collision in 2021 and discharging a firearm in an OPD elevator in 2022. In response, Armstrong filed a lawsuit for wrongful termination in early February.

The search for a new police chief took more than a year — Thao rejected the first batch of nominees (which included Armstrong) in December 2023, forcing the police commission to start its search over again.

“I know that he’s a strong leader, and I know that he’s a smart crime fighter who delivers results,” Thao said of Mitchell in March. “His commitment to proven crime-reduction strategies include proactive policing, and the most important part is the strong officer community engagement.”

Thao is currently facing a recall effort, with organizers criticizing Thao for failing to address issues related to public safety and for firing Armstrong.

According to Oaklandside, most of the money recall organizers raised was from undisclosed donors and a San Francisco tech billionaire family focused on funding police ballot measures.