The chief of the Oakland Police Department is stepping down.

Floyd Mitchell, who was appointed by former Mayor Sheng Thao and began his post in May 2024, submitted his resignation letter to the city on Wednesday, according to a press release from the city of Oakland. His final day will be Dec. 5.

It’s not clear why Mitchell resigned.

“Deciding to resign was not an easy decision, nor was it made in haste,” he wrote in his resignation letter, which The Oaklandside obtained. “I am proud of what we have accomplished together, and I am confident that this department will continue to thrive and reach new heights.”

Mitchell, Mayor Barbara Lee, and City Administrator Jestin Johnson will work over the next few weeks to select an interim police chief, according to the city’s press release.

“It has been an honor to serve the Oakland community, and I am grateful for the support I’ve received from the residents,” Mitchell wrote in the statement.

“Under his tenure, we have seen significant reductions in crime — a testament to his commitment to public safety and the hard work of our police officers,” Lee wrote in the city’s statement.

“I’d like to thank Chief Mitchell for his service to the city of Oakland and his unwavering support provided to the women and men of the Oakland Police Department,” Johnson wrote.

Mitchell came to Oakland from Lubbock, Texas, where he was the city’s first Black police chief, leading the department from 2019 to 2023. Before that, he ran the police department of Temple, Texas, for four years. The majority of his career as a police officer was spent in Kansas City, where he worked for 25 years. Mitchell is an Air Force veteran.

When he left Lubbock, the city’s police department had been facing criticism for the poor performance of its 911 call center. A 2023 report found that over 30,000 911 calls, or 16% of the total, hadn’t been answered.

In Oakland, Mitchell’s term coincided with a significant drop in crime. City officials, including Mitchell, credited OPD for these numbers, although the city’s rates follow a national trend in declining violence and property crimes. Mitchell also successfully sought approval of changes to OPD’s vehicle pursuit policy to allow officers more leeway when chasing suspects.

Mitchell’s employment contract with Oakland was for a term of three years, with an annual salary of $365,000.

Mitchell’s impending departure means that the Oakland Police Commission will be tasked with recruiting new candidates for chief. The commission will interview candidates and send a shortlist of three to the mayor for final approval, probably sometime next year.

Ricardo Garcia-Acosta, chair of the Police Commission, told The Oaklandside that the commission is grateful for Mitchell’s leadership — but that the timing of Mitchell’s resignation isn’t ideal.

“We thank the chief for everything he’s done during his time in Oakland, and yet, we’re incredibly disappointed because we felt like we were going in the right direction, and now we’re starting all over,” Garcia-Acosta said.

The commission, he added, is “looking forward to working with city leadership to swiftly start the process of searching for a new chief.”

OPD’s top job is notoriously difficult and stressful, and few who take it last very long. Mitchell was Oakland’s ninth police chief or interim chief in the past 10 years. Five of his predecessors were either fired or forced to resign due to scandals or conflicts with the mayor and police commission.

Millie Cleveland, steering committee chair of the Coalition for Police Accountability, said she hopes Mitchell’s resignation prompts OPD, the Police Commission, the City Council, and the mayor’s office to work together to strengthen transparency and end federal court oversight.

“Chief Mitchell’s hostility to oversight has been incompatible with these goals,” she wrote in a statement emailed to The Oaklandside. “He did not understand the history of repeated scandals and cover-ups that have hindered Oakland’s ability to demonstrate that we can consistently and meaningfully oversee ourselves.”

This is a breaking story. Check back for updates.

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