For more than two decades, a federal judge has overseen the Oakland Police Department, a role that's earned him the nickname "the chief to the police chief."

But some Oakland residents said that oversight is partly to blame for the department's chronic staffing shortages. One Oakland mother has launched a petition asking the judge to end federal monitoring so the department can regain its independence.

Reports in recent years suggested the Oakland Police Department needs more than 800 officers to operate effectively. Currently, the department has about 645 officers, but more than 100 of them are on long-term leave, leaving roughly 540 active officers.

Some residents believe the federal oversight is a big reason for the shortage.

"It's been a week and we have over 200 signatures so far," said Rajni Mandal, an Oakland resident and mother spearheading the petition. She hopes to collect 1,000 signatures by December.

"Getting rid of the federal oversight and having civilians be in charge of it will help us make the police department we want," Mandal said.

She argues that the shortage makes her family, and many others, feel unsafe.

"The biggest concern of our neighbors was the lack of police response and the lack of police patrol. You call 911, nobody really picks up. If you put in a report, police show up at two in the morning. And then, why do we never see patrol in our neighborhoods?" she asked.

Mandal and her husband are raising two kids in Oakland, and they love the city. But recent experiences have shaken their sense of security.

"We were at a street fair and there was a shooting a block away, and everybody's running. I just don't want my kids to have to experience that. It makes me sad," she said.

The city reported that the police department loses five to seven officers a month to resignations. The top reasons are long commutes, heavy discipline, and federal oversight. The last two are directly tied to the federal monitoring.

After 22 years under a federal monitor, Mandal believed it's time for the department to stand on its own.

"There's accountability through multiple layers. And then, as I said, there's a civilian accountability that's working in parallel with them. The police department is not policing itself on its own. We actually have civilian oversight over it," she said.

But supporters of the federal oversight said the civilian Police Commission can't replace a federal monitor. They argued the commission hasn't been effective, and the department still struggles to hold officers accountable for misconduct.

In 2024,  the judge in the case ordered the city and police department to develop a plan to address internal investigations into officer misconduct in response to incidents within the OPD. 

"We're not seeking perfection. What we're seeking is that when someone does wrong, they are appropriately investigated and appropriately disciplined," said civil rights attorney Jim Chanin, who works with the judge to ensure the department meets federal compliance.

Chanin represented plaintiffs in the 2003 Riders case—a group of officers accused of planting evidence and abusing their power—which led to federal oversight.

"Let's get in compliance. Let's end this thing. I want to retire. But I'm not going to do that when they're not in compliance. I've spent a number of years working on this, and I don't intend to stop now," Chanin said.

Currently, the department remains out of compliance on three items. 

• Timeliness standards and compliance with Internal Affairs Division
• Complaint procedures with IAD
• Consistency of Discipline  

But Chanin believed the end is near.

"I believe that the [Negotiated Settlement Agreement] will end either the end of this year or the very beginning of next year," he said.

That's what Mandal is hoping for, because both sides agree on one thing: this has gone on far too long.

"We love Oakland, there's so much awesome stuff here. And this is home. So I'd rather help make my home better than move away," Mandal said.

She plans to keep collecting signatures until December, when she'll submit the petition to the federal judge overseeing the department.