Oakland’s police chief is calling it quits. Chief Floyd Mitchell announced Wednesday that he is stepping down from the position after roughly 18 months on the job. Mitchell was named OPD Chief of Police by former Mayor Sheng Thao in March 2024.
His resignation is effective December 5th. Mitchell’s email to the police department didn’t give a specific reason for his decision, though insiders say the chief didn’t love having to deal with the 20-plus-year federal oversight of the department and much of the red tape surrounding the job. Mayor Barbara Lee has claimed there has been a significant drop in crime in Oakland.
The Oakland Police Officers Association released a statement saying it was “deeply concerned” about the “troubling pattern of instability at the highest levels of city government and the Oakland Police Department.”
