Bay Area

Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao Faces Recall Efforts One Year Into Term

A group of Oakland residents, dissatisfied with Mayor Sheng Thao’s approach to combating crime and ensuring public safety, have initiated a recall campaign against her, one year into her term. The recall campaign is being led by Brenda Harbin-Forte, a former Alameda County Superior Court judge, who was removed from the Oakland Police Commission by Thao last year in June.

Published

2 years ago

January 23, 2024

Oakland Post

Residents have been reported to be “fed up” with Thao’s perceived lack of action in addressing crime and public safety issues in the city, mainly citing the past year’s events with Oakland Police Department (OPD).

By Magaly Muñoz

A group of Oakland residents, dissatisfied with Mayor Sheng Thao’s approach to combating crime and ensuring public safety, have initiated a recall campaign against her, one year into her term.

The recall campaign is being led by Brenda Harbin-Forte, a former Alameda County Superior Court judge, who was removed from the Oakland Police Commission by Thao last year in June.

The notice of intent that was submitted over the weekend asserts that firing OPDs Police Chief LeRonne Armstrong has led to a spike in violent crimes and has created a public safety crisis that has led to “the city’s reputation as one of the most dangerous in America.”

The notice of intent adds that Thao has failed to appoint a new police chief in nearly a year after Armstrong’s dismissal and has also failed to declare a state of emergency in the city which she promised in September to do if a police chief had not been hired by the end of the year.

“Lives have been lost, property destroyed, businesses have shut down, and fear and collective trauma are daily occurrences for Oaklander,” the letter states. “We, the concerned citizens, therefore demand your recall for the sake of our city’s future.”

Armstrong was dismissed in February by Thao over allegations of mishandling officer misconduct cases. In December, the Police Commission submitted his name to Thao to be considered for reinstatement to the position along with two other candidates but the mayor rejected all three candidates and asked the commission to propose new ones delaying hiring a chief until March.

According to end of year OPD reports, all crime increased by 17% from 2022 to 2023; violent crime rose by 21%; robbery by 38%; burglary by 23%; and motor vehicle theft by 45%.

Soon after firing the chief, Thao and her administration also failed to submit an application for crime fighting funds that would’ve given Oakland an estimated $15 million for additional police patrols, squad cars, and automated license plate readers to track down suspected perpetrators of crime.

Thao acknowledged these mistakes in her State of the City address in October, saying that “the buck stops with me” and that her main objective as mayor is to ensure public safety in the community.

In response to the recall efforts, Thao said she wants people to come together and fight for the city they love.

“I have the best job in the world. That’s because every day I have a chance to fight for a safer, more affordable, and more prosperous Oakland,” Thao said in a statement. “I ask all Oaklanders to help me achieve that vision with hope and collaboration and push aside fear and division.”

Her chief of staff, Leigh Hanson, also issued a statement against those attempting to recall the mayor.

“This recall effort is led by losers. Men who ran against her for mayor and lost. I know for a fact that if Mayor Thao had lost the election, she would have conceded gracefully and found a legitimate job that contributed to moving our community forward,” Hanson said.

Hanson added that she believes the Oakland community is “smarter than this” and “will resist the urge to be distracted by a desperate attempt for relevance.”

In an unrelated note, Thao is not the only elected official in the Bay Area facing a recall campaign. Alameda District Attorney Pamela Price is also under scrutiny, with recall organizers accusing her of being “soft on crime” as theft, robberies and shoplifting have increased over the last year.

Organizers have 160 days to gather signatures from 10%, or about 25,000, registered voters in Oakland to get the recall onto the ballot.

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Oakland Post: Week of February 25 – March 3, 2026

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of – February 25 – March 3, 2026

Published

1 week ago

March 1, 2026

Oakland Post

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Chase Oakland Community Center Hosts Alley-Oop Accelerator Building Community and Opportunity for Bay Area Entrepreneurs

Over the past three years, the Alley-Oop Accelerator has helped more than 20 Bay Area businesses grow, connect, and gain meaningful exposure. The program combines hands-on training, mentorship, and community-building to help participants navigate the legal, financial, and marketing challenges of small business ownership.

Published

2 weeks ago

February 21, 2026

Oakland Post

Bay Area entrepreneurs attend the Alley-Oop Accelerator, a small business incubation program at Chase Oakland Community Center. Photo by Carla Thomas.

By Carla Thomas

The Golden State Warriors and Chase bank hosted the third annual Alley-Oop Accelerator this month, an empowering eight-week program designed to help Bay Area entrepreneurs bring their visions for business to life.

The initiative kicked off on Feb. 12 at Chase’s Oakland Community Center on Broadway Street, welcoming 15 small business owners who joined a growing network of local innovators working to strengthen the region’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.

At its core, the accelerator is designed to create an ecosystem of collaboration, where local entrepreneurs can learn from one another while accessing the resources of a global financial institution.

“This is our third year in a row working with the Golden State Warriors on the Alley-Oop Accelerator,” said Jaime Garcia, executive director of Chase’s Coaching for Impact team for the West Division. “We’ve already had 20-plus businesses graduate from the program, and we have 15 enrolled this year. The biggest thing about the program is really the community that’s built amongst the business owners — plus the exposure they’re able to get through Chase and the Golden State Warriors.”

According to Garcia, several graduates have gone on to receive vendor contracts with the Warriors and have gained broader recognition through collaborations with JPMorgan Chase.

“A lot of what Chase is trying to do,” Garcia added, “is bring businesses together because what they’ve asked for is an ecosystem, a network where they can connect, grow, and thrive organically.”

This year’s Alley-Oop Accelerator reflects that vision through its comprehensive curriculum and emphasis on practical learning. Participants explore the full spectrum of business essentials including financial management, marketing strategy, and legal compliance, while also preparing for real-world experiences such as pop-up market events.

Each entrepreneur benefits from one-on-one mentoring sessions through Chase’s Coaching for Impact program, which provides complimentary, personalized business consulting.

Garcia described the impact this hands-on approach has had on local small business owners. He recalled one candlemaker, who, after participating in the program, was invited to provide candles as gifts at Chase events.

“We were able to help give that business exposure,” he explained. “But then our team also worked with them on how to access capital to buy inventory and manage operations once those orders started coming in. It’s about preparation. When a hiccup happens, are you ready to handle it?”

The Coaching for Impact initiative, which launched in 2020 in just four cities, has since expanded to 46 nationwide.

“Every business is different,” Garcia said. “That’s why personal coaching matters so much. It’s life-changing.”

Participants in the 2026 program will each receive a $2,500 stipend, funding that Garcia said can make an outsized difference. “It’s amazing what some people can do with just $2,500,” he noted. “It sounds small, but it goes a long way when you have a plan for how to use it.”

For Chase and the Warriors, the Alley-Oop Accelerator represents more than an educational initiative, it’s a pathway to empowerment and economic inclusion. The program continues to foster lasting relationships among the entrepreneurs who, as Garcia put it, “build each other up” through shared growth and opportunity.

“Starting a business is never easy, but with the right support, it becomes possible, and even exhilarating,” said Oscar Lopez, the senior business consultant for Chase in Oakland.