OAKLAND, Calif. (KCBS RADIO) – It will likely be months before we know who Oakland's next police chief will be.
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But the exhaustive search begins now for the city and its Mayor Sheng Thao who will head up a nationwide search.
This is a process the city is familiar with by now, as it cycles through police chiefs on a fairly regular basis.
Some say that the constant turnover can be attributed to consistent infighting between the City Council and the city’s Police Commission.
According to former Oakland Police Chief Anne Kirkpatrick, that even applies to Mayor Thao's firing of the most recent police chief, LeRonne Armstrong.
"There are people who have very strong feelings that she made the wrong decision," said Kirkpatrick. "And there are others who have very strong feelings that she made the right decision – she's got a divided half."
It may be time for the search for a new police chief to extend beyond the Bay Area. It might help break the cycle of lack of oversight coming from the top.
"It's hard to hold people accountable when you work with them for years," said Oakland civil rights attorney Dan Siegel. "And your own success as a chief requires that people respect your leadership, and do what you want them to do."
But others aren't sure the city will be able to do much better than they already were doing under Armstrong's leadership.
"Someone who has worked their way up through the ranks of policing, understanding the good, the bad, and the ugly of the institution – with a commitment to solving that," said former City Councilmember Loren Taylor.
Assistant Chief Darren Allison is serving as acting chief until a replacement is found.
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