Floyd Mitchell, former Lubbock, Texas police chief, appointed to replace LeRonne Armstrong as Oakland's top cop
Floyd Mitchell has been appointed as Oakland's new police chief, Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao announced in a statement Friday.
Mitchell served as the police chief in Lubbock, Texas from 2019 to 2023. He is expected to take the reins at the Oakland Police Department between late April and early May.
"Floyd Mitchell is a strong leader and smart crime fighter who delivers results. His commitment to proven crime reduction strategies including proactive policing and strong officer-community engagement vaulted him to the top of the list," said Thao in a prepared statement. "As our city's top police officer, Chief Mitchell will join the talented public safety leadership team we have assembled and lead the law enforcement elements of Oakland's comprehensive public safety strategy."
"As Oakland's police chief, I look forward to working together with our residents, business owners, city leadership, and members of the police commission to build a stronger and safer Oakland," said Mitchell in a statement. "I am excited about the opportunity to meet the members of the police department, interact with all the people who call this beautiful city home, and become an integral part of this special place."
Mitchell spent 25 years with the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department and also served as police chief in Temple, Texas before joining the Lubbock Police Department. The Air Force veteran is moving to Oakland with his wife Rebecca; he is the father of two adult sons.
Oakland Police Sgt. Huy Nguyen, president of the Oakland Police Officers' Association, welcomed the new chief in a news release Friday.
"We are pleased that the uncertainty regarding the Oakland Chief of Police position has been resolved," Nguyen said. "Oakland's diligent police officers eagerly anticipate collaborating with Chief Mitchell in serving our community."
Oakland City Council president Nikki Fortunato Bas also welcomed Mitchell and said in a social media post that he joins "an exceptional public safety leadership team."
"Working together, across our branches of government and with community, we will expand our comprehensive safety programs so that Oaklanders feel the safety and security well all deserve," Bas said.
California State Assemblymember Mia Bonta, D-Oakland, also posted a welcome message on social media.
"I personally appreciate (Thao's) intentionality in making this selection," Bonta said. "Welcome to Oakland, Chief Floyd Mitchell, we look forward to the work you'll do to ensure that all Oaklanders feel safe in our beautiful city."
Oakland Police Commission Chair Marsha Peterson issued the following statement:
"On behalf of the Oakland Police Commission, we welcome Floyd Mitchell as the City of Oakland's new Chief of Police. We are proud of the commission's efforts to bring only the most qualified candidates to the Mayor's attention, and we look forward to working closely with Chief Mitchell to achieve the constitutional policing and reforms required to ensure fairness and justice for all the residents of Oakland.
We extend our sincere gratitude to Interim Chief Darren Allison for his service to the City of Oakland while we searched for a permanent chief."
Pamela Drake with the Wellstone Democratic Renewal Club has been following Oakland politics for four decades. She hopes the new chief can focus more on community policing and crime prevention.
"I am glad this time it's an outsider. Previously, I would have said like most people 'let's pick somebody homegrown.' But it sort of shown that it's really tough to be a chief of people that you were comrades with for so long. And it's really hard to root out the kind of day-in and day-out corruption that can go along with those kinds of cozy relationships," said Drake.
While Bishop Bob Jackson of Acts Full Gospel Church was hoping for an internal hire, he is ready to meet and support Chief Mitchell. He warns of the big challenges ahead.
"New chief, we welcome you to the City of Oakland," said Bishop Jackson. "Not knowing the city, not knowing the culture, not knowing the community, not knowing the politicians either, this guy is really in for a big shock and big surprise. It's not going to be like Lubbock, Texas."
Mitchell was one of four finalists selected by Oakland's Police Commission last month to replace former Police Chief LeRonne Armstrong, whom Thao fired over a year ago. The other candidates were former San Leandro Police Chief Abdul Pridgen, Cincinnati Assistant Police Chief Lisa Davis, and New York City Assistant Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Louis Molina.
Last month, Armstrong sued Thao and the City of Oakland, alleging wrongful termination. The lawsuit claims his termination violated state law and his First Amendment rights. The suit also alleges that he was fired from his post for speaking out about misconduct involving federal monitor Robert Warshaw who has been overseeing the department since 2014.
Armstrong released a statement Friday offering his support to the new police chief.
"Public safety is the most important issue in Oakland. We have a dedicated police force that now has a new leader. I send my best wishes to Floyd Mitchell and offer any assistance he may desire," said Armstrong. "This is my hometown. I want everyone to be safe and will do everything in my power, now as a private citizen, to assist in that goal."
Thao fired Armstrong in February 2023 after a report from Warshaw detailed Armstrong's actions in connection with a hit-and-run collision involving a police sergeant and the alleged obstruction of the investigation that followed. Armstrong had been suspended a month earlier after the report that concluded he had signed off on the findings without reviewing them or even fully discussing the incident.
A subsequent report by a retired judge who heard Armstrong's official appeal described his firing as "retaliatory and wrongful."
Thao later defended her actions in firing Armstrong, saying he was terminated not because of the monitor's report, but due to public statements he made regarding the alleged coverup of the hit-and-run incident.
In December, Thao rejected the original list of three police chief candidates submitted by the Police Commission. Armstrong was reportedly one of the names submitted to the mayor.
