Bay Area

Once Again, Community Demands Reinstatement of OPD Chief LeRonne Armstrong

Armstrong says there’s a sense of fairness that should be considered due to his track record. “This is not a sport; this is a community in desperate need of public safety…This is a community that has been asking the police department to police the community differently, to build trust and that’s what I’ve been doing. So, any coach should see, based on my track record, I’ve done just that. This department is not the same department as it was 10-20 years ago, and it’s because of the recent leadership.”

Published

3 years ago

February 15, 2023

Oakland Post

At a press conference held in the Madeline Senegal Fellowship Meeting Room on Sunday at Acts Full Gospel Church of God in Christ in East Oakland, Chief of Police LeRonne Armstrong with community and NAACP support address the media. Photo by Carla Thomas.

By Carla Thomas

After its Sunday service, Acts Full Gospel Church of God in Christ hosted a press conference by the Oakland NAACP in their continued support of reinstating Oakland’s Chief of Police LeRonne Armstrong.

Armstrong was placed on administrative leave last month pending a report accusing him of not holding an Oakland officer accountable for misconduct. In the church’s Madeline Senegal fellowship meeting room, a dozen media outlets heard directly from Armstrong, the Oakland NAACP, and questions from community members.

Armstrong said that additional information from the federal monitor being reviewed by the mayor shows that the conclusions in the summary report leading to his suspension are inaccurate and lack evidentiary support.

“The situation defies common logic,” said Armstrong. “A policy that says the investigation should not be discussed with anyone in an investigation that determined the chief should have known by policy he had no right to know…There’s a reason why the Negotiated Settlement Agreement (NSA) has a clause that says that the IAD (Internal Affairs Division) cannot be located within the OPD. It is located in Frank Ogawa Plaza because an NSA mandates that there’s independence between the departments.”

Armstrong said, “I deserve to be in this position of chief of police, as someone born and raised in Oakland, raised in poverty. As someone who has struggled and come from poverty to make it to the chief of police…but to have someone tarnish my reputation, tarnish the beliefs of my family and friends in this community is unacceptable.”

Armstrong also expressed that he has brought OPD closer to the end of federal oversight than any other chief previously. The OPD has been under federal oversight for two decades since 2003, pending compliance with 52 reforms negotiated in a settlement agreement including racial profiling and reporting practices about the use of force.

The appointed federal monitor, Robert Warshaw, is paid $100,000 a month according to reports, which amounts to $1.2 million annually to oversee and ensure that the OPD remains compliant.

With just months away from the end of federal oversight, Armstrong’s supporters call into question placing Armstrong on leave and that the overall investigation may be a ploy to extend the oversight and allow Warshaw to remain on a lucrative payroll.

“I believe in holding officers accountable when the information is presented to me, but, in this case, that information was not brought to me, so I was not able to take the proper action. If I’d have had the information, I would have launched a full investigation,” said Armstrong.

Armstrong says he’s worked toward building a department that polices professionally and constitutionally.

“I have worked hard to change the way the community views the department because when I was growing up, we didn’t like it: We hated it, and we feared it.”

Armstrong has served the police department his entire adult life, promoting volunteering, giving back and treating people with dignity and respect. As chief, he encouraged this culture and is proudest of reducing stops of African Americans by 65%.

“This is a huge deal because less Black people being touched by law enforcement lowers the risk of the violence we’ve seen across the country. And so, when you can minimize the opportunities for the interaction of law enforcement and African American men in particular, you can reduce the number of violent incidents. I believe we can focus on crime, but not over-police certain communities,” he said.

A church member said, “We have had way too many chiefs in the last decade that have been relieved of their duties, yet we have the same monitor who appears to have made a small fortune.”

Former Chief Assistant District Attorney of Alameda County Terry Wiley supports the chief and said he has known Armstrong for 30 years and characterized him as a “tremendous leader.

“He is a man of integrity, with a highly decorated career as a police officer,” said Wiley. “It says a lot when the African American, Asian and Hispanic community join forces as a collective to say that we want the chief reinstated because he did not do anything wrong. We don’t want to see his career tarnished and he does not deserve the treatment he is receiving. We are here to ask the mayor to reconsider her actions and reinstate the chief.”

“On behalf of the community, the Oakland NAACP, we are asking the mayor, again, again, and again to reinstate the chief,” said Oakland NAACP President Cynthia Adams. “The voters are also asking you, mayor. Listen to the voters, listen to your community; they are asking you to reinstate the chief. Bring the chief back to his duties. Please bring him back to where he needs to be in Oakland.”

A response from Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao has yet to be received.

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Activism

Chase Oakland Community Center Hosts Alley-Oop Accelerator Building Community and Opportunity for Bay Area Entrepreneurs

Over the past three years, the Alley-Oop Accelerator has helped more than 20 Bay Area businesses grow, connect, and gain meaningful exposure. The program combines hands-on training, mentorship, and community-building to help participants navigate the legal, financial, and marketing challenges of small business ownership.

Published

1 week ago

February 21, 2026

Oakland Post

Bay Area entrepreneurs attend the Alley-Oop Accelerator, a small business incubation program at Chase Oakland Community Center. Photo by Carla Thomas.

By Carla Thomas

The Golden State Warriors and Chase bank hosted the third annual Alley-Oop Accelerator this month, an empowering eight-week program designed to help Bay Area entrepreneurs bring their visions for business to life.

The initiative kicked off on Feb. 12 at Chase’s Oakland Community Center on Broadway Street, welcoming 15 small business owners who joined a growing network of local innovators working to strengthen the region’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.

At its core, the accelerator is designed to create an ecosystem of collaboration, where local entrepreneurs can learn from one another while accessing the resources of a global financial institution.

“This is our third year in a row working with the Golden State Warriors on the Alley-Oop Accelerator,” said Jaime Garcia, executive director of Chase’s Coaching for Impact team for the West Division. “We’ve already had 20-plus businesses graduate from the program, and we have 15 enrolled this year. The biggest thing about the program is really the community that’s built amongst the business owners — plus the exposure they’re able to get through Chase and the Golden State Warriors.”

According to Garcia, several graduates have gone on to receive vendor contracts with the Warriors and have gained broader recognition through collaborations with JPMorgan Chase.

“A lot of what Chase is trying to do,” Garcia added, “is bring businesses together because what they’ve asked for is an ecosystem, a network where they can connect, grow, and thrive organically.”

This year’s Alley-Oop Accelerator reflects that vision through its comprehensive curriculum and emphasis on practical learning. Participants explore the full spectrum of business essentials including financial management, marketing strategy, and legal compliance, while also preparing for real-world experiences such as pop-up market events.

Each entrepreneur benefits from one-on-one mentoring sessions through Chase’s Coaching for Impact program, which provides complimentary, personalized business consulting.

Garcia described the impact this hands-on approach has had on local small business owners. He recalled one candlemaker, who, after participating in the program, was invited to provide candles as gifts at Chase events.

“We were able to help give that business exposure,” he explained. “But then our team also worked with them on how to access capital to buy inventory and manage operations once those orders started coming in. It’s about preparation. When a hiccup happens, are you ready to handle it?”

The Coaching for Impact initiative, which launched in 2020 in just four cities, has since expanded to 46 nationwide.

“Every business is different,” Garcia said. “That’s why personal coaching matters so much. It’s life-changing.”

Participants in the 2026 program will each receive a $2,500 stipend, funding that Garcia said can make an outsized difference. “It’s amazing what some people can do with just $2,500,” he noted. “It sounds small, but it goes a long way when you have a plan for how to use it.”

For Chase and the Warriors, the Alley-Oop Accelerator represents more than an educational initiative, it’s a pathway to empowerment and economic inclusion. The program continues to foster lasting relationships among the entrepreneurs who, as Garcia put it, “build each other up” through shared growth and opportunity.

“Starting a business is never easy, but with the right support, it becomes possible, and even exhilarating,” said Oscar Lopez, the senior business consultant for Chase in Oakland.

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Oakland Post: Week of February 18 – 24, 2026

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of – February 18 – 24, 2026

Published

1 week ago

February 20, 2026

Oakland Post

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Bay Area

CITY OF SAN LEANDRO STATE OF CALIFORNIA PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT ENGINEERING DIVISION NOTICE TO BIDDERS FOR ANNUAL STREET OVERLAY/REHABILITATION 2019-21 – PHASE III

WORK DESCRIPTION: The work to be done consists of roadway paving, base cement stabilization, concrete curb ramps, driveways, sidewalks, curbs and gutters, traffic detection loops and pavement striping, and doing all appurtenant work in place and ready for use, all as shown on the plans and described in the specifications with the title indicated in Paragraph 1 above, and on file in the office of the City Engineer. Reference to said plans and specifications is hereby made for further particulars.

Published

1 week ago

February 20, 2026

Oakland Post

PROJECT NO. 2020.0050

BID NO. 25-26.011

BID OPENING: The bidder shall complete the “Proposal to the City of San Leandro” form contained in the Contract Book. The proposal shall be submitted in its entirety. Incomplete proposals will be considered non-responsive. Sealed bids containing the completed Proposal Section subject to the conditions named herein and in the specifications for ANNUAL STREET OVERLAY/REHABILITATION 2019-21 – PHASE III/PROJECT NO. 2020.0050 addressed to the City of San Leandro will be received at City Hall, 835 East 14^th Street, 2^nd Floor San Leandro at the office of the City Clerk up to 3:00 p.m. on Thursday, March 19, 2026, at which time they will be publicly opened and read.
WORK DESCRIPTION: The work to be done consists of roadway paving, base cement stabilization, concrete curb ramps, driveways, sidewalks, curbs and gutters, traffic detection loops and pavement striping, and doing all appurtenant work in place and ready for use, all as shown on the plans and described in the specifications with the title indicated in Paragraph 1 above, and on file in the office of the City Engineer. Reference to said plans and specifications is hereby made for further particulars.
OBTAINING THE PROJECT PLANS AND CONTRACT BOOK: The project plans and Contract Book may be obtained free of charge from the City’s website at:https://www.sanleandro.org/Bids.aspx Bidders who download the plans are encouraged to contact the City of San Leandro Public Works Department Engineering division at 510-577-3428 to be placed on the project planholder’s list to receive courtesy notifications of addenda and other project information. Project addenda, if any, will be posted on the website. A bidder who fails to address all project addenda in its proposal may be deemed non-responsive.Bidders may also purchase the Project Plans and Contract Book from East Bay Blueprint & Supply Co., at 1745 14^th Street, Oakland, CA 94606; Phone Number: (510) 261-2990 or email: ebbp@eastbayblueprint.com.
PRE-BID CONFERENCE: A mandatory pre-bid conference will be held on Tuesday, February 24, 2026, at 2:00 PM and on Wednesday, February 25, 2026, at 10:00 AM as follows:
Tuesday, February 24, 2026, at 2:00 PM
Zoom Meeting ID: 883 8752 6074
Passcode: 502955
Zoom Link: https://sanleandro-org.zoom.us/j/88387526074?pwd=hZ5rjB8AWdLAUem3CtByFiZxqKarHj.1
And
Wednesday, February 25, 2026, at 10:00 AM
Zoom Meeting ID: 898 2672 0472
Passcode: 091848
Zoom Link: https://sanleandro-org.zoom.us/j/89826720472?pwd=JgZX2nXMpLSRM5xDPr7EJUxl7QIznr.1The information presented at the conferences will be identical, all bidders must attend one of the pre-bid conference and sign the attendance sheet. A firm that didn’t attend the pre-bid conference isn’t qualified to bid on the project.Questions regarding the plans and specifications may be submitted in writing to the project engineer until 5:00 p.m. five (5) days before, excluding Saturdays, Sundays and Holidays, bids must be received by the City. The City will not respond to oral questions outside of the pre-bid conference. The response, if any, will be by written addendum only. Oral responses do not constitute a revision to these plans or specifications.
VALUE OF WORK: The Engineer has estimated that the value of work is between $1,000,000 and $5,000,000.
SAN LEANDRO BUSINESS PREFERENCE AND PARTICIPATION GOALS: The work performed under this contract is subject to Section 1-6-225 of the San Leandro Municipal Code regarding local business preference and participation. A list of companies that hold a San Leandro business license is located on the City webpage under the finance department, here: https://www.sanleandro.org/340/Business-License
SAN LEANDRO COMMUNITY WORKFORCE AGREEMENT: The work performed under this contract is subject to the Community Workforce Agreement adopted by City Council Resolution 2015-104. Contractors attention is directed to Section 10.