Oakland Mayor Thao names Floyd Mitchell as new police chief, Carl Chan hopes for more police presence at Chinatown

(Oakland) Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao named Floyd Mitchell from Texas as new Chief of Police in Oakland after a one-year search for a permanent police chief. Community leader Carl Chan hopes for more police presence at Oakland Chinatown under Mitchell's leadership.

Thao announced her appointment of Chief of Police on March 22 in a press release and a video message posted on social media that she selected Mitchell to lead the Oakland Police Department.

Mitchell, 56, is expected to begin his new role as Chief of Police in Oakland in late April or early May. The exact date has not been announced yet.

Prior to this appointment, Mitchell served as Police Chief at two police departments in Texas. He was most recently named as Police Chief at the City of Lubbock, Texas, in 2019 until he resigned in September of 2023. Mitchell also served as Police Chief for the City of Temple, Texas, from 2015 to 2019.

Mitchell began his career as a patrol officer with the Kansas City Police Department in Missouri. After 25 years of service at Kansas City, he was named as the Chief of Police in Temple, Texas in 2015.

Mitchell has earned both his BSA and MBA degrees in Business Administration from Baker University. He is a veteran of the U.S. Air Force.

“Floyd Mitchell is a strong leader and smart crime fighter who delivers results. His commitment to proven crime reduction strategies including proactive policing and strong officer-community engagement vaulted him to the top of the list," Mayor Thao said in the press release.

“As servant leaders and guardians of our city, I and the members of the Oakland Police Department have a unique opportunity to create lasting relationships and make significant impacts in the communities we serve. Our duty is to promote safety, prevent crime, and pursue justice for all we serve by collaborating and communicating with our community,” Mitchell said in a statement.

“As Oakland’s police chief I look forward to working together with our residents, businesses owners, city leadership, and members of the police commission to build a stronger and safer Oakland," Mitchell added. "I am excited about the opportunity to meet the members of the police department, interact with all the people who call this beautiful city home, and become an integral part of this special place.”

Mitchell will succeed LeRonne Armstrong to lead the Oakland Police Department. Armstrong was fired by Thao in February 2023 after a probe ordered by the oversight monitor found he mishandled two misconduct cases. It was only one month after Thao was sworn into office in January 2023 as the new Mayor of Oakland.

Thao did not name a permanent police chief to head the Oakland Police Department for over a year, while violent crime, robbery, and vehicle theft has climbed to a level where residents and businesses called unacceptable.

Armstrong filed a lawsuit in the Alameda County Superior Court in February 2024 to sue the City of Oakland and Thao claiming he was unlawfully terminated in retaliation for criticizing the federal court-appointed monitor overseeing the Oakland Police Department.

After Armstrong was fired, Oakland Chinatown leader Carl Chan joined the NAACP Oakland Chapter to show support for Armstrong.

"I urge all residents and businesses in Oakland to support the incoming Chief Mitchell," said Chan. "When the new chief is successful doing his job. It represents the City of Oakland will be safer for all of us."

Chan said he also has joined NCCAP to request for a meeting with Mitchell once he begins serving at the Police Department in order to develop a better working relationship between the police department and different communities.

Oakland Chinatown and the Asian community in Oakland have faced extra challenges on crimes including anti-Asian hate and violence for years. The crimes have been also harmful to the economy of Oakland Chinatown since the pandemic in 2020.

Chan knew that Mitchell would need to overcome a number of challenges including understaffing, internal morale, and rising violent crimes in Oakland.

On behalf of the Chinese and Asian community, Chan was looking forward to more dialogues with Mitchell for better cooperation to fight crime.

At the same time, Chan hoped that Mitchell would deploy more police officers at Oakland Chinatown to meet the needs of the Chinese and Asian communities on public safety.