Bay Area

Oakland’s Messy Police Chief Search Narrowed to 3 Candidates

The search for the next chief of Oakland’s police department may be nearing an end, as the Oakland Police Commission sent Mayor Sheng Thao a list of three final candidates last week. Thao now has the option of choosing from the three candidates or sending the list back for more options, which would draw out the already 10-month-long process even longer.

Published

2 years ago

December 27, 2023

Oakland Post

By Brandon Patterson

The city’s search of a new police chief has been long and messy. Oakland has been without a chief since February, when Thao fired former Chief LeRonne Armstrong for going to the press while on leave during an investigation into his handling of officer discipline at the department. Armstrong accused Oakland’s federal police monitor, who had made the original findings against Armstrong, of “corruption,” and denied any wrongdoing. In the fall, a third-party hearing officer hired to review the circumstances found that Armstrong had not necessarily broken any rules — but he also did not say whether he should be reinstated as police chief. Armstrong has been pushing to be reinstated, but Thao has said she will not do that.

Thao’s office told KTVU that the names of the three finalists will not be made public. “This is an important decision, and Mayor Thao will take the time that is necessary to select the person that will lead the Oakland Police Department,” the statement said. “Finding the right leader for the police department is a priority and Mayor Thao intends to conduct this process in a timely manner.”

But the process has already taken 10 months, with Thao previously threatening to declare a state of emergency — a move that would have allowed her to intervene in the selection process — because it was taking so long, and amid widespread concern about violence in the city. The Police Commission voted 5-1 to approve the list of finalists, with Commissioner Wilson Riles standing as the one holdout.

Meanwhile, local police accountability advocates argue that the search process has not been transparent enough.

“The process was far more transparent last time,” Jim Chanin, an attorney who was on the Police Commission panel that selected Armstrong under former Mayor Libby Schaaf, told KTVU. “I think it’s really important that [the candidates are] fully vetted to the public, that they have the opportunity to have the maximum support from the community,” said Chanin.

“We think it would be helpful if the city held a virtual public interview process where the public submitted questions ahead of time,” Millie Cleveland, chair of the Coalition for Police Accountability, also told KTVU.

Pushing back, the mayor’s office said that a public forum for appointees had not been done before 2020 and is not required by the city charter.

It is unclear whether Armstrong is one of the three finalists, though several news organizations have speculated as such.

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Oakland Post: Week of February 25 – March 3, 2026

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of – February 25 – March 3, 2026

Published

1 week ago

March 1, 2026

Oakland Post

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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

2 weeks 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.