Efforts to recall the mayor of Oakland are underway. A notice of intent was sent via certified mail this past weekend to Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao.
Retired Alameda County Superior Court Judge Brenda Harbin-Forte sent the letter, which reads in part that Mayor Thao lacks “the competency, credibility, judgment and ability” to lead the city of Oakland.
As stated in the letter, grounds for the recall include creating a public safety crisis by “systematically dismantling the Oakland police department,” delaying OPD’s exit from 20 years of federal oversight, missing the deadline for a multi-million-dollar state grant to fight retail theft, and rising crime.”
Opponents of the mayor point to the continued absence of a police chief along with an increase in crime around the city.
Thao’s supporters point to new policing initiatives that she has pushed along with other new programs. The mayor has seven days to respond to the notice of intent.