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Troubled progressive Oakland mayor Sheng Thao is hit with more public outcry as her career teeters on the brink ahead of November recall election
Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao is facing calls to resign from police chiefs amid an ongoing surge in violent crime and staffing issues in the beleaguered city.
The demand is a fresh blow to Thao, who is facing a recall election in November.
The Oakland Police Officers Association revealed it had voted unanimously to demand her resignation on Tuesday, stating they will back recall efforts if she fails to step aside.
The organization, led by President Huy Nguyen, warned the city has become a laughing stock.
'We're a joke and not just in the state but in the country and world. We need to change the state of the city,' Sgt. Nguyen told a press conference, Mercury News reports.
Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao is facing calls to resign from police chiefs amid bouts of violent crime and staffing issues in the beleaguered city
They cited rampant crime, understaffing among police and a murky financial future for the city as reasons for their lack of confidence.
A recent FBI raid of Thao's home in connection with an alleged money laundering scheme has only further harmed Thao's credibility, Nguyen added. Thao has protested her innocence.
The union warned that the police department needs around 500 more officers than it currently has to operate effectively.
'The leadership in this city continues to fail again and again and the citizens continue to suffer,' Nguyen said.
Thao has been battling against high levels of violent crime since she took office, but said her administration has secured, 'significant reductions in robberies, shootings, and homicides'.
However, data from Oakland Police shows that violent crime was up by more than a fifth over the year to the end of 2023, a year after she was elected.
Even though the homicide rate has come down, Oakland has more murders than the US average.
The Oakland Police Officers Association revealed it had voted unanimously to demand her resignation on Tuesday, stating they will back recall efforts if she fails to step aside. Pictured: A shantytown in ailing Oakland
The union cited rampant crime, understaffing among police and a murky financial future for the city as reasons for their lack of confidence
Thao's credibility has been further undermined by an FBI raid on her home in connection with an alleged money laundering scheme. Thao has insisted she has done nothing wrong
Robberies and car thefts have doubled and tripled respectively when compared to pre-pandemic rates.
Among the most shocking include a mass shooting at a Juneteenth celebration at Lake Merritt and an elderly woman getting attacked and robbed in broad daylight.
Just last month, 100 robbers tore a gas station apart and picked the shelves clean, their conduct not generating a timely police response.
Days after that incident, the Oakland Police Department admitted it only has 35 officers on patrol at any given moment for a city with over 400,000 people.
Thao's response to all of this has been to say crime is down when compared to 2023's early-year crime wave, though keen observers have noted that her office's report compared the fully compiled year-end 2023 statistics with the ongoing count for 2024.
In a statement, Thao said her budget, 'prioritized public safety by funding two new police academies and prevented the elimination of over 80 police officer positions.'
'I urge the four-member executive team of the Oakland Police Officers' Association to join me in celebrating this achievement rather than attempting to scare the public with misinformation and falsehoods,' she added.
A spokesperson for her confirmed 'the mayor has no plans to resign.'
The organization, led by President Huy Nguyen a laughing stock
Robberies and car thefts have doubled and tripled respectively when compared to pre-pandemic rates.
But retired Judge Brenda Harbin-Forte, who led the recall effort against Thao, told local media that she had 'blood on her hands,' while also criticizing her policies that she says are driving businesses out of Oakland faster than ever before.
Business owners who have decided to stick it out are beginning to reach their breaking point, with one longtime Oakland resident calling the current state of affairs 'demoralizing.'
Several big brands including Denny's and Taco Bell have either fled or amended their operations in the city to deal with the levels of crime.
As well as Thao, progressive District Attorney Pamela Price is also up for recall amid what many view as her soft on crime approach.