A recall effort to remove Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao was initiated Jan. 6, after a notice of intent was mailed to Ms. Thao by retired Alameda County Superior Court Judge Brenda Harbin-Forte, the lead proponent in the effort.
The former judge, who also previously served on the Oakland Police Commission until she was removed by Ms. Thao last year, told The Epoch Times the mayor’s “dismantling” of the city’s police department, in part by removing former Police Chief LeRonne Armstrong and stalling the selection of a new chief, among other issues, has led to innocent lives lost as crime spirals out of control in the city.
“It’s just a failure of leadership. As we’ve said there’s too many lives that have been lost, and this mayor has blood on her hands,” Ms. Harbin-Forte said.
Ms. Harbin-Forte, in the notice, listed several reasons for the recall, such as the mayor’s “unjust” termination of the police chief last February which she said has led to a “surge of serious and violent crimes” and delayed the Oakland Police Department’s exit from 20 years of federal oversight—after some officers were accused, in a civil lawsuit, of planting drugs and falsifying police reports in 2000, a case which was ultimately settled.
“You have made numerous misleading and untrue statements to the public. You failed to keep your promise to appoint a new police chief or declare a state of emergency,” reads a portion of the notice, referring to rises in crime and homelessness.
“In short, you lack the competency, credibility, judgment and ability to lead what was once a great American city,” the notice reads.
Other issues Ms. Harbin-Forte listed include the mayor “admittedly” missing the deadline for a $15 million grant to combat retail theft—which Ms. Thao took responsibility for during an October State of the City address—and alleged non-enforcement of Oakland’s encampment management policy, leading to more open-air drug use, homeless encampments, and chop shops where thieves disassemble stolen cars sometimes hidden in the encampments, according to Ms. Harbin-Forte.
“She just came in [to office] and basically started destroying all of the things that were making Oakland better,” she told The Epoch Times.
Of particular concern, she said, is that the mayor has requested a media blackout on the selection of the city’s next police chief, and despite a pool of candidates for several months, which Ms. Thao rejected in December, the city remains without a new permanent chief.
“The sheriff stated that she wanted a press blackout on the selection process. How can you do that? You’re a public agency, so how can you not have public input?” she said.
Regarding the allegations of Ms. Thao’s requesting a media blackout, a spokesperson for the city told The Epoch Times via email the mayor “has engaged the media on this topic on multiple occasions,” and the delay in the selection process was because the “Oakland Police Chief leads a critical component of the Mayor’s comprehensive community safety strategy,” but the mayor intends to select one soon.
Also, according to the spokesperson, the mayor has previously stated she would declare a state of emergency if she hadn’t received a list of candidates prior to the end of 2023, but the Oakland Police Commission did submit a list in time.
Applications for the position are still open, will be evaluated in February and sent to the mayor in March, over a year after the former chief was removed.
Resident, community advocate, and media contact for the recall Seneca Scott told The Epoch Times under the mayor’s leadership Oakland has become increasingly dangerous, largely because of a weakened police force.
“We have no law enforcement presence to match [criminals]—to stop them,” he said.
Mr. Scott, who is a member of Neighbors Together Oakland—a grassroots effort of neighbors for a safer Oakland—cited a study published on the nonprofit’s website which shows violent crime in Oakland increased by 21 percent between 2022 and 2023 while decreasing by 8 percent nationwide.
According to the study, robbery, aggravated assault, and burglary all increased in the city during the same time period while decreasing in most other places in the Bay Area, and across the nation, according to Oakland Police data used in the study.
Organizers for the recall were required to gather 250 signatures for the notice of intent, and once those signatures are verified, they will need 25,000 verified signatures—around 10 percent of Oakland voters—in order to place the issue on the November 2024 ballot, according to Mr. Scott.
