By Magaly Muñoz

A group of Oakland residents, dissatisfied with Mayor Sheng Thao’s approach to combating crime and ensuring public safety, have initiated a recall campaign against her, one year into her term.

The recall campaign is being led by Brenda Harbin-Forte, a former Alameda County Superior Court judge, who was removed from the Oakland Police Commission by Thao last year in June.

Residents have been reported to be “fed up” with Thao’s perceived lack of action in addressing crime and public safety issues in the city, mainly citing the past year’s events with Oakland Police Department (OPD).

The notice of intent that was submitted over the weekend asserts that firing OPDs Police Chief LeRonne Armstrong has led to a spike in violent crimes and has created a public safety crisis that has led to “the city’s reputation as one of the most dangerous in America.”

The notice of intent adds that Thao has failed to appoint a new police chief in nearly a year after Armstrong’s dismissal and has also failed to declare a state of emergency in the city which she promised in September to do if a police chief had not been hired by the end of the year.

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“Lives have been lost, property destroyed, businesses have shut down, and fear and collective trauma are daily occurrences for Oaklander,” the letter states. “We, the concerned citizens, therefore demand your recall for the sake of our city’s future.”

Armstrong was dismissed in February by Thao over allegations of mishandling officer misconduct cases. In December, the Police Commission submitted his name to Thao to be considered for reinstatement to the position along with two other candidates but the mayor rejected all three candidates and asked the commission to propose new ones delaying hiring a chief until March.

According to end of year OPD reports, all crime increased by 17% from 2022 to 2023; violent crime rose by 21%; robbery by 38%; burglary by 23%; and motor vehicle theft by 45%.

Soon after firing the chief, Thao and her administration also failed to submit an application for crime fighting funds that would’ve given Oakland an estimated $15 million for additional police patrols, squad cars, and automated license plate readers to track down suspected perpetrators of crime.

Thao acknowledged these mistakes in her State of the City address in October, saying that “the buck stops with me” and that her main objective as mayor is to ensure public safety in the community.

In response to the recall efforts, Thao said she wants people to come together and fight for the city they love.

“I have the best job in the world. That’s because every day I have a chance to fight for a safer, more affordable, and more prosperous Oakland,” Thao said in a statement. “I ask all Oaklanders to help me achieve that vision with hope and collaboration and push aside fear and division.”

Her chief of staff, Leigh Hanson, also issued a statement against those attempting to recall the mayor.

“This recall effort is led by losers. Men who ran against her for mayor and lost. I know for a fact that if Mayor Thao had lost the election, she would have conceded gracefully and found a legitimate job that contributed to moving our community forward,” Hanson said.

Hanson added that she believes the Oakland community is “smarter than this” and “will resist the urge to be distracted by a desperate attempt for relevance.”

In an unrelated note, Thao is not the only elected official in the Bay Area facing a recall campaign.  Alameda District Attorney Pamela Price is also under scrutiny, with recall organizers accusing her of being “soft on crime” as theft, robberies and shoplifting have increased over the last year.

Organizers have 160 days to gather signatures from 10%, or about 25,000, registered voters in Oakland to get the recall onto the ballot.

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