Former OPD Chief Floyd Mitchell has landed a new job leading Fremont’s police department.
News of the hire – first reported by KTVU – was confirmed by Geneva Bosques, a Fremont spokesperson. Bosques told The Oaklandside that Fremont hired Mitchell after conducting a nationwide search.
“Mr. Mitchell brings extensive experience and expertise in law enforcement to this role,” Bosques said. She added that the city plans to share more info following the completion of the hiring process.
Fremont’s last interim police chief, Sean Washington, resigned last August.
Mitchell announced his resignation in October, setting off speculation about why he was leaving his post after just 18 months on the job. Mitchell, who refused to do interviews with the press throughout his tenure, has never publicly shared why he decided to resign. His last day in Oakland was Dec. 5.
OPD has a long history of chiefs leaving or getting the boot after short terms. Mitchell was the city’s ninth chief or interim chief in the past decade. He joined Oakland after leading the Lubbock, Texas police for several years. During his time in Oakland, the city experienced a significant drop in homicides and other violent crimes.
As Fremont’s police chief, Mitchell will not have to answer to a federal monitor. The city also lacks a civilian police commission with any oversight powers. He will also experience a very different crime environment. Fremont reported five murders in 2024. That same year, Oakland had 81.
Oakland is currently led by Interim Police Chief James Beere while the Police Commission conducts a search for a new slate of candidates. The final decision will be made by Mayor Barbara Lee.
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Eli Wolfe reports on City Hall for The Oaklandside. He was previously a senior reporter for San José Spotlight, where he had a beat covering Santa Clara County’s government and transportation. He also worked as an investigative reporter for the Pasadena-based newsroom FairWarning, where he covered labor, consumer protection and transportation issues. He started his journalism career as a freelancer based out of Berkeley. Eli’s stories have appeared in The Atlantic, NBCNews.com, Salon, the San Francisco Chronicle, and elsewhere. Eli graduated from UC Santa Cruz and grew up in San Francisco.