Meet the contenders: Oakland Police Commission reveals candidates for chief of police
Oakland, California – A list of candidates for head of police has been released by the Oakland Police Commission. This news comes before a very important public meeting on Thursday, where people in the community will be able to meet and talk with the candidates.
Group of experienced and prominent law enforcement employees
The candidates include well-known police officers from across the country, such as Louis Molina, who is currently the Assistant Deputy Mayor for Public Safety in New York City, Lisa Davis, who is a Lieutenant Colonel in Cincinnati, Ohio, Floyd Mitchell, who used to be the chief of police in Lubbock, Texas, and Abdul Pridgen, who was most recently the chief of police in San Leandro.
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Abdul Pridgen’s campaign is especially interesting since he just quit the San Leandro Police Department. Pridgen had been put on administrative leave in September 2023 while a review into possible policy violations in the department went on. He has had a great career. He was the head of the Seaside Police Department in Monterey County before coming to work in San Leandro. Before that, he spent more than 25 years as the assistant police chief for the Fort Worth Police Department in Texas, where he made history as the city’s first and only Black assistant police chief.
City’s effort likely to result in positive outcome
The city has put a lot of effort into finding a new chief, especially since Mayor Sheng Thao fired the first group of candidates put forward by the committee and former chief LeRonne Armstrong was fired more than a year ago. Armstrong was fired, which led to a case against the city for wrongful termination. This makes it even more important for the Oakland Police Department to have stable leadership.
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People from the local community were very excited about the news, and local leaders stressed how important it is for the new chief to be able to understand and work with Oakland’s diverse communities. Carl Chan, president of the Oakland Chinatown Chamber of Commerce, talked about the community’s worries and hopes. He emphasized the need for a chief who can build strong ties between different cultural groups to solve the city’s public safety problems.
The public meeting, which will happen at City Hall on Thursday at 6:30 p.m., is an important part of the selection process. It gives people in Oakland a chance to talk to the candidates directly about their plans for the future of police work in the city and to judge how well they can lead the department through its present problems.
Join the Police Chief Search Ad Hoc Committee as they hear from police chief candidates and discuss their qualifications.
For detailed information visit:https://t.co/cQVdql0q5A pic.twitter.com/56Hs4dC53e
— Oakland Police Commission (@OakPoliceComm) February 28, 2024
