Bay Area

Mayor Fires Oakland Police Chief LeRonne Armstrong

Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao announced this week that she has fired Police Chief LeRonne Armstrong, who had been on paid administrative leave pending results of an investigation into allegations that he mishandled two internal affairs misconduct cases against a police sergeant who was involved in a hit-and-run car crash and fired a gun in a police department elevator.

Published

3 years ago

February 18, 2023

Oakland Post

Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao (pictured left) announced this week that she has fired Police Chief LeRonne Armstrong

By Ken Epstein

“I am no longer confident that Chief Armstrong can do the work that is needed to achieve the vision,” said Thao at a press conference Wednesday afternoon. “Oakland needs a police department that welcomes opportunities for improvement rather than immediately rejecting criticism.”

The mayor said she was concerned that Armstrong’s public statements in his defense minimized the significance of the misconduct cases that had been covered up during internal affairs investigations.

In a written statement, Mayor Thao said:

“I made a commitment, as your mayor, to ensure that the Police Department and the City can prove, once and for all, that Oakland is ready to ensure constitutional policing without federal oversight.

“Within days of being notified that the city needed time to carefully review the findings and evidence in these very serious cases, Chief Armstrong made a number of statements that troubled me.

“In response to a public report that concluded that OPD had repeatedly failed to rigorously investigate misconduct and hold officers accountable, Chief Armstrong said these were not incidents where officers behaved poorly. He stated that he did not believe these incidents reflected systemic problems,” she said.

“Instead, Chief Armstrong described the underlying incident as a minor vehicle collision. He said that officers made ‘mistakes.’ He publicly stated that the sergeant involved in a vehicle collision was held accountable, disregarding the independent investigator’s findings of serious flaws in the disciplinary process.”

“It is clear to me that there are systemic issues the city needs to address and that we cannot simply write them off as mistakes,” she said.

Following his termination, Armstrong released the following statement to KTVU:

“I am deeply disappointed in the Mayor’s decision. After the relevant facts are fully evaluated by weighing evidence instead of pulling soundbites from strategically leaked, inaccurate reports, it will be clear I was a loyal and effective reformer of the Oakland Police Department.

“It will be equally clear that I committed no misconduct, and my termination is fundamentally wrong, unjustified, and unfair,” Armstrong continued. “I anticipate releasing a more detailed statement soon once I have the chance to fully digest the mayor’s remarks.”

The mayor had placed Armstrong on administrative leave on Jan. 19 following an investigation conducted by an outside law firm hired by the city into how the police Internal Affairs department conducted two investigations into Sgt. Michael Chung.

The report by the outside law firm, which was confidential but released by several news outlets, found that Chief Armstrong’s denials of involvement in the internal affairs case were not “credible” and that he had committed “gross dereliction of duty and performance of duty” for failing to hold subordinate officers accountable and to ensure the integrity of OPD’s discipline process.

In March 2021, Chung was involved in a crash in San Francisco in which his OPD vehicle tore off the bumper off his neighbor’s Mercedes. According to the outside lawyers’ report, the internal affairs investigation downplayed its findings, saying that Chung was involved in a “preventable collision” rather than a hit-and-run that caused $14,000 in damage and that he did not report to either the San Francisco police or OPD.

Armstrong signed off on this report without reading it, and Chung received counseling and training.

A year later, Chung fired a gun in an elevator in a police department building and threw the shell casings off the Bay Bridge.

According to the law firm’s report, Armstrong displayed a “lack of attention to internal processes that should have been laser-sharp and focused on an investigation involving a pattern of criminal misconduct,” adding that there is a “problem with the tone at the top — at least when it comes to the department’s commitment to policing itself.”

Defending Armstrong, District 5 City Councilmember Noel Gallo told the Oakland Post that he opposed his firing:

“I have the greatest respect for Chief Armstrong — I’ve known him for many years,” said Gallo. He’s the first police chief I’ve seen walking the streets with me, attending community events, and visiting schools. He’s an honorable man who has created respect in the communities.

“He was able to create a positive feeling among police officers, both among those who have been on the force for years and those who are new recruits,” Gallo continued. “Chief Armstrong made a difference.”

Gallo also said that police oversight is costing Oakland over $1 million a year and should be ended. “Federal Monitor Warshaw just shows up every three months and writes us up negatively. It’s time for the federal oversight to end.” Oakland has been under federal oversight for more 20 years.

Supporting the mayor’s decision, the Anti Police-Terror Project (APTP) issued a statement:

“Over the past few weeks, we’ve observed Chief Armstrong attempt to strongarm the media and local politicians to push for reinstatement. Armstrong hired the discredited local PR consultant, Sam Singer, in an attempt to bully the mayor to give him his job back … (while) many local media publications regurgitated the Singer press releases.”

“This was a bold and courageous move,” said Cat Brooks, executive director and co-founder of the APTP. “Despite attempts by Armstrong, who was more busy being a political actor than a police chief, to coerce the mayor into preserving his job, Mayor Thao remained rooted in the facts of the investigation. This is an important first step in decades of little-to-zero accountability for this department,” said Brooks.

According to APTP, this latest scandal was not Armstrong’s first. “He lied about the department being defunded when in reality its budget increased by $38 million. He lied about his officers using excessive force (including tear-gassing children), even though OPD just lost a lawsuit for precisely that. He knew that his officers were sharing racist, sexist memes but did nothing to stop it.”

On Thursday, some of Armstrong’s supporters held a press conference on the steps of City Hall to demand that he be given back his job.

Speakers called for the former chief’s rehiring, include former mayoral candidate Seneca Scott, who spoke for the Oakland branch of the NAACP.

Brenda Grisham, who helped organize the event, said, “(Chief Armstrong) loves us, and we love him as well. What we want to see is his job back. We’re going to fight for his job, and he’s going to fight for his job – because we need to fight for ourselves.”

When the Mayor Sheng Thao’s name was mentioned at the press conference, many in the crowd began chanting, “Recall, Recall!”

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Agricultural Engineer Effie Gant Plans Bay Area Farmers Market Initiative

Published

4 days ago

July 18, 2026

bpusa-syndication

Agricultural Engineer Effie Gant displays watermelons from her Sacramento farm at the Temescal Festival in Oakland. Photo by Carla Thomas.

In her 80s and still actively working as an agricultural engineer, Effie Gant continues to break barriers in urban farming and community leadership.

The certified USDA grower and respected urban farmer, based in South Sacramento, was recently spotted vending at the Freedom Farmers’ Market by the Temescal Street Fair on Saturday, July 11, where she proudly displayed dozens of sweet, juicy watermelons.

Festivalgoers gathered not only to purchase her produce but also to enjoy activities like the popular watermelon-eating contest. Yet beyond the festive atmosphere, Gant has a larger vision.

Gant is now setting her sights on the Bay Area, where she plans to launch a farmers’ market to increase access to fresh, locally grown food.

Known for her leadership in sustainable agriculture and food justice, she brings decades of hands-on experience and community advocacy to regions where food access remains inconsistent.

She has built a strong reputation through her work with Meadowview Urban Farm and the Yisrael Family Urban Farm, cultivating crops such as watermelons, honeydew melons, and collard greens. Her approach emphasizes sustainability, education, and empowering residents to grow their own food, even in small urban spaces.

As a USDA-certified grower, Gant blends technical expertise with grassroots engagement to combat food insecurity.

Beyond farming, Gant serves as CEO and President of Highways to Hedges, a nonprofit focused on environmental justice and community development. She is also president of the Hampton Station Neighborhood Association and board chairman for HHCORE, where she advocates for safety, equity, and economic opportunity.

Her proposed farmers market will connect small-scale farmers with urban communities while elevating Black farmers and other underrepresented growers.

“I want to teach the next generation about farming and how lucrative it can be,” Gant said. “You don’t need hundreds of acres. You can start with one acre or even your backyard.”Gant also noted her involvement in a collective of farmers who supply produce through government-supported programs.

“We operate as a team, and we all benefit,” she said.

Through workshops, speaking engagements, and hands-on training, Gant and her organization continue to educate communities about agriculture and food justice. Her market initiative will emphasize affordability, cultural relevance, and nutrition education.

Her broader work includes creating edible forests in partnership with Soil Born Farms, planting fruit trees directly in neighborhoods to expand food access. As a mentor with the Center of Expertise on Food Justice and Health Equity, Gant remains a leading voice in building sustainable and resilient food systems.

Gant says she welcomes the community to join her in creating a new farmer’s market.

“Farming is essential to life,” she said. “I want to train as many people as I can to use food and farming as a tool for empowerment, health, and long-term change.”

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Oakland Post: Week of July 15 – 21, 2026

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of July 15 – 21, 2026

Published

5 days ago

July 18, 2026

Oakland Post

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From Disparity Study to Solutions: Oakland Coalition and Mayor Barbara Lee Renew Commitment to Reform City Contracting

She committed to ensuring the coalition has direct access to City leadership by designating Assistant Deputy City Administrator Chuck Baker the primary liaison. Working alongside Deputy City Administrator Sofia Navarro, DWES Director Emylene Aspilla, Race and Equity Director Darlene Flynn, and other City departments, the coalition will continue advancing these priorities while maintaining regular communication with City leadership.

Published

1 week ago

July 15, 2026

Oakland Post

Present at the recent meeting on implementing recommendations on Oakland’s Disparity Study on city work contracts were (first row, l. to r.): Chuck Baker, Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee and Darlene Flynn. Second row, l. to r.) Samuel Adams, Erica Astrella, Chadwick Spell, Cathy Adams, Stanley Cooper, Maria Wagner, Len Turner, Derek Barnes, Paul Cobb. Photo courtesy of Oakland Mayor’s Office.

Special to The Post

On June 30, a coalition of minority business leaders, contractors and others met with Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee to discuss the City’s commitment to implement recommendations outlined in Oakland’s Disparity Study and eliminate barriers that have historically prevented Black and minority-owned businesses from fully participating in public contracting opportunities.

Representatives of the Oakland African American Chamber of Commerce (OAACC), National Association of Minority Contractors Northern California (NAMC NorCal), Construction Resource Center (CRC), and the East Bay Rental Housing Association (EBRHA) said the meeting represented an important milestone in a process that has been underway for several months.

On April 21, the Oakland City Council’s Life Enrichment Committee received a progress report from the Department of Workplace and Employment Standards (DWES), where Director Emylene Aspilla presented the coalition’s working document and outlined a collaborative implementation plan between the coalition and the City. That report established 30-, 60-, and 90-day objectives focused on five key priorities:

Reforming Local and Small Local Business Enterprise (L/SLBE) waiver practices
Strengthening prompt payment compliance
Improving procurement forecasting and transparency
Expanding contractor capacity building and business development
Increasing oversight, accountability, and public reporting

A series of working sessions was scheduled between coalition representatives, DWES, and the City Administrator’s Office to begin implementing those priorities but were temporarily delayed by the resignation of former City Administrator Jestin Johnson.

Rather than allowing that momentum to stall, OAACC President and CEO Cathy Adams requested a meeting with Lee to gain clarity on the City’s direction and reaffirm its commitment to implementing the recommendations contained within the Disparity Study.

Coalition leaders described the meeting as productive, candid, collaborative, and encouraging.

During the meeting, Lee spoke not only from her role as mayor but also from her experience as an 8(a) contractor and business owner, sharing that she understands firsthand what it takes to build and grow a successful company, employ a substantial workforce, compete for public work, and navigate the complexities of municipal contracting.

Mayor Lee also expressed her commitment to personally participate in future working meetings with the coalition.

“This meeting represents a renewed commitment to partnership,” said Adams. “Mayor Lee listened, engaged, and demonstrated that she wants to move beyond conversation and into implementation.”

CRC’s Len Turner said the roadmap is already in place. ““The City already has the evidence. What’s been missing is execution. …Now it’s time to deliver results.”

Mario Wagner, president of NAMC NorCal agreed that the next phase must focus on implementation, funding, and accountability.

“The coalition is ready to get to work. …The next step is ensuring these initiatives receive meaningful funding in the upcoming fiscal budget cycle. Just as important, the City must establish transparent reporting mechanisms that keep the public informed through regular progress reports, measurable benchmarks, and accountability.”

Coalition leaders also acknowledged that while City leadership has indicated it is reviewing Local and Small Local Business Enterprise waiver practices, the community continues to seek a formal response regarding existing long-term waivers, including waivers extending 10 and 25 years. The coalition believes those waivers should be comprehensively reviewed and, where appropriate, rolled back as part of the City’s broader contracting reforms.

The coalition is also calling on the City to include meaningful funding in the upcoming fiscal budget cycle to support implementation of the Disparity Study recommendations and establish better methods and mechanisms to keep the public informed through regular progress reports, measurable benchmarks, and transparent accountability.

The coalition’s immediate next step is to schedule a working meeting with Baker, Aspilla, Lee, and the appropriate City staff to review what has already been accomplished under the implementation framework.