Police union demands Democratic California mayor resign amid federal probe, upcoming recall vote

The Oakland Police Officer's Association called for Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao (D) to resign immediately on Tuesday amid an ongoing federal investigation and an upcoming recall vote, Fox News Digital reported.

The union's president, Huy Nguyen, stated during a recent news conference that Thao's office had depleted resources from law enforcement and failed to address the city's ongoing crime crisis.

'The process drags out longer.'

"Today we are asking Mayor Sheng Thao to recall as mayor immediately for a lot of the failures in this city, going from crime, the budget crisis, the distraction of the FBI raid that prevents our ability to function as a city," Nguyen stated, according to KTVU. "Every day, our citizens feel the tragedies. That they cannot exit their own home or walk to the streets of Oakland, calling 911 and not getting the services they need."

According to Nguyen, because of understaffing issues and limited police resources, the department has been unable to respond to every emergency call or it runs the risk of longer response times.

Following the police union's demands, Thao released a video statement on social media attempting to defend her track record.

"It's really unfortunate that the OPOA is obviously playing politics," Thao stated. "Right now, during this very sensitive time, we need to come together. We see that what we are working on, in regards to the comprehensive approach for public safety, is working."

Thao, pulling Oakland Police Department data, contended that the crime rate for many offenses is down, including homicide, aggravated assault, rape, robbery, burglary, and motor vehicle theft.

"Public safety is my number one priority," Thao continued. "Under my administration, we've had the most officers on the street than we've ever had in the last three and a half years."

The police union pushed back on Thao's claims, noting that not enough has been done to provide law enforcement with the required resources.

Tim Dolan, vice president of the Oakland POA, stated, "This is a time to invest more in the city, hire more police officers, retain the police officers and fix the crime issue. And going forward, that's what we'd like to see from the next mayor."

Thao will face a recall election in November after residents gathered more than enough verified signatures to force the vote. However, the police union believes the mayor should not wait that long.

"If she resigns by this week, the election will take place in November, versus waiting through the recall. Then it will happen in April and the process drags out longer when we need to work into the new budget immediately," Nguyen explained.

Thao is also currently wrapped up in an FBI investigation. While no charges have been filed against her, Thao's home was raided by federal agents last month.

The mayor has maintained that the probe is "not about" her. However, the investigation recently expanded, with the FBI requesting phone directory records from the Oakland Police Department. The federal investigators also requested documents showing all federal funding sources since 2021.

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