OAKLAND, Calif. (KGO) — Oakland officials are searching for a new police chief after years of turnover at the top of the department, a process city leaders say will rely heavily on community input.
The city has had 11 police chiefs in the past 15 years, a rate of leadership change far higher than other major Bay Area police departments.
Former Chief Floyd Mitchell stepped down in December after about a year and a half on the job.
For some residents, stability and deep local knowledge are critical qualities in the city’s next police chief.
“I think we need to have somebody who has a very strong background in working in a very complex city,” said Sandi Bethune.
MORE: Oakland Police Chief Floyd Mitchell announces he’s stepping down
Bethune, a lifelong Oakland resident, attended a community meeting Wednesday night at an East Oakland library hosted by the city’s police commission.
Like others at the meeting, she said she wants to be involved in selecting the next leader of the Oakland Police Department.
“My preference is for someone that has lived here. Because if you’ve lived here, you know what has happened here,” she said.
The frequent turnover in Oakland’s police leadership has been a persistent issue in recent years, something experts say reflects the unique challenges of the job.
TIMELINE: Oakland has had 11 different police chiefs in 15 years
“You have the mayor that oversees them, you have the city council that gets in there, you have the police commission…You have the mayor’s office, you have the federal oversight. You have just everything there and they don’t always pull in the same direction,” said ABC7 Eyewitness News Insider Phil Matier.
The meeting Wednesday was the first of six scheduled around Oakland as part of the selection process. The police commission said it plans to present the mayor with at least three final candidates and stressed that community feedback is a key part of its decision-making.
Commissioner Shane Williams said the city is working with a recruiting firm to identify strong candidates.
MORE: Oakland Police Commission hosts first meeting since chief’s resignation announcement
Commissioner Shane Williams says the city has been working with a recruiting firm to try and find the best candidates.
“We’re looking for constitutional policing. Somebody who’s dedicated to Oakland. I mean but there are nuances that we want to hear about,” said Williams.
The commission has said it hopes to have a new police chief in place by the end of the summer, a timeline residents like Bethune say cannot come soon enough.
“When I was growing up here, my brother and I we could walk downtown, we could go to the park by ourselves. Nobody can do that anymore,” Bethune said.
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