Oakland’s revolving door of police chiefs spins with Floyd Mitchell’s resignation

OAKLAND, Calif. (KRON) — Police chiefs have not lasted long in Oakland within the past decade. On Wednesday, Police Chief Floyd Mitchell announced his resignation and intent to leave the Oakland Police Department by the first week of December.

Mitchell’s decision to step away from OPD

was made despite the chief’s support from his police force and a reduction in city crime rates.

“Chief Mitchell is an honest, hard-working cop. The rank-and-file members of this department are questioning whether certain anti-law enforcement factions of the community were ready or open to his honesty, dedication, and support of public safety,” the Oakland Police Officers Association union wrote.

Mitchell served as Oakland’s top cop for less than two years. The union said his resignation is the result of “a painful but predictable symptom of the deep dysfunction that has plagued the City of Oakland for years.”

Mayor Barbara Lee promised to ensure a smooth leadership transition and to continue building on the progress made toward reducing crime. Lee delivered her “State of the City” address on Tuesday. During her speech, she put a spotlight on high crime rates dropping under Mitchell’s leadership.

When comparing 2024 to 2025, the mayor said homicides dropped 27%, robberies decreased 40%, and vehicle thefts dropped 43%.

Mitchell’s predecessor, former Police Chief LeRonne Armstrong, was fired in February 2023 by then-Mayor Sheng Thao. She claimed that Armstrong failed to discipline officers who committed misconduct, and Thao lost confidence in his ability to reform OPD. Thao was later booted out of office by a recall election, and she is currently facing federal fraud and bribery charges.

Armstrong has vehemently defended his record, previously declaring, “I did not engage in policy violations. I did not do anything wrong.”

After Chief Mitchell’s sudden resignation was announced Wednesday, the police officers’ union declared, “it’s time to stop the revolving door, to rebuild trust, and to restore stability.” City officials have not disclosed why Oakland is losing another police chief.

How many police chiefs have left Oakland this decade?

• Sean Whent became chief in 2013. He resigned in 2016 after several officers were busted in a sex scandal involving an underage call girl, Celeste Guap.
• After Whent, two new police chiefs came and went during two tumultuous weeks, Ben Fairow and Paul Figueroa.
• Anne Kirkpatrick was picked as Oakland’s first female police chief in 2017. She was fired in 2020. Kirkpatrick later won a $1.5-million wrongful termination lawsuit against the city.
• Darren Allison served as interim chief until LeRonne Armstrong was chosen as a permanent chief in 2021. The mayor fired Armstrong in February 2023. Armstrong unsuccessfully demanded his job back.
• Once again, Darren Allison stepped up to serve as interim chief in 2023 while the city spent over a year searching for candidates.
• In March 2024, Floyd Mitchell was sworn-in as chief of OPD. In October of 2025, Mitchell announced his resignation with plans of leaving Oakland in December.

Between October and November, Mitchell will work with Mayor Lee and City Administrator Jestin Johnson to identify an interim chief of police, according to the city. Oakland officials did not say whether Allison is being considered for the position.

In a statement, Mitchell said, “It has been an honor to serve the Oakland community, and I am grateful for the support I’ve received from the residents. I’m incredibly proud of the men and women of this Department and the collaborative working relationships forged with the community and business owners to reduce crime. My commitment over the weeks ahead is to help ensure a smooth transition and continue to keep Oakland safe.”

The police officers’ union said it is “deeply concerned by Chief Mitchell’s resignation. His departure represents another chapter in a troubling pattern of instability at the highest levels of city government and the Oakland Police Department. Chief Mitchell is now the 6^th police chief in the past five years.”

Former Chief Armstrong said Wednesday, “As a native of Oakland, and as a former police chief, we should all thank Chief Floyd Mitchell for his service to rank-and-file officers who work every day, 24/7, to protect Oakland residents and businesses.  We wish him the best for whatever he does next, we thank him for his hard-work, honesty, and dedication.”

Mayor Lee said, “I want to thank Chief Mitchell for his dedicated service to Oakland and his leadership during a critical time for our city. 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.”