Bay Area

Statement By Chief LeRonne Armstrong

As the Police Chief, I did my job, and I did it well. I committed no misconduct, I followed all relevant policies and procedures, and I delivered on my promise to implement reforms to bring the City to the goal line of ending federal oversight.

Published

3 years ago

February 18, 2023

Oakland Post

Chief LeRonne Armstrong

I was wrongly terminated for standing up for the City of Oakland. As the Police Chief, I did my job, and I did it well. I committed no misconduct, I followed all relevant policies and procedures, and I delivered on my promise to implement reforms to bring the City to the goal line of ending federal oversight.
But my termination was never really about the facts of my performance or my ability to lead effectively. My termination was about Federal Monitor Robert Warshaw, and the Mayor’s failure to fight for the Oakland community.
Mr. Warshaw’s history and incentives are crystal clear. It is the elephant in the room. He is supposed to be neutral, but he is not. It’s in the best interest of his pocketbook to conclude that every error at the Police Department is a scandal that reaches all the way to the top of the organization, and to write sensational reports about it — all at Oakland taxpayers’ expense. His conclusions need to be taken with a very big grain of salt, and scrutinized to be sure that they are backed by evidence and that they make sense.
When I pointed that out – the Mayor fired me.
I have read news reports describing the Mayor’s decision to fire me as “bold.” The reality is the complete opposite.
She did the easy thing. She accepted the Monitor’s conclusions at face value without weighing the evidence and without asking the hard questions that needed to be asked about the holes in those reports. And she put the City on a path to accepting invalid criticism that could justify more oversight, more checks paid to Robert Warshaw, and instability in a critical public safety role during a time of real public safety problems in Oakland.
In the process, the Mayor shut out critical input from other key stakeholders like the Police Commission, which has rightly commented that there are serious questions about the “credibility and quality” of the Monitor’s reports. Worse, she ignored the Oakland community.
The Mayor promised to bring the community together, listen to their voices, and earn their trust. But as soon as I was placed on leave, the community spoke – loudly – that I had earned their trust and I should be the Chief to finish what I started in implementing critical public safety reforms. I continue to be humbled and grateful for that community support, which unfortunately fell on deaf ears at the Mayor’s office.
Oakland needs leadership willing to stand up for its citizens and willing to push back on efforts by outsiders to unfairly criticize the progress the City has made. It was a privilege to serve this community for over twenty years, and I regret that my opportunity to take the Police Department across the finish line was wrongly denied me. Oakland deserves better.
Lastly, I want to thank and appreciate the hardworking women and men of the Oakland Police Department. I asked you to trust me and to police the community differently. Treating everyone with dignity and respect. You did! You have highest respect!

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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

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4 days 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.