At every step, the process of finding Oakland’s new police chief was fraught with political tensions between the city’s police commission, which shortlisted the job candidates, and Mayor Sheng Thao, who made the final call in hiring the city’s top cop. Those relations may become only more strained by the mayor’s next move. Thao, fresh … Read more
A recent surprise ruling throwing out criminal charges against the purported founder of a Southern California-based white supremacist group over concerns that prosecutors didn’t pursue similar cases against left-wing Antifa members has brought widespread attention to a veteran federal judge with a reputation for never shying away from tough decisions. After U.S. District Judge Cormac … Read more
OAKLAND — The city’s civilian-led police oversight body was expected to whittle down a shortlist of four finalists to be Oakland’s next top cop on Thursday night — perhaps to just a single candidate. Whoever is selected by the volunteers on the Oakland Police Commission would next be assessed by Mayor Sheng Thao, the final … Read more
ANTIOCHAlmost two years after creating an independent oversight commission to advise on police policies and strengthen community trust, the City Council has appointed seven residents to do just that. The commission is part of several police reforms Mayor Lamar-Hernandez Thorpe introduced in February 2021. But, at the time the council voted to appoint the council … Read more
LOS ANGELES — Black people accounted for nearly 13% of traffic stops in California in 2022, far above their 5% share of the state’s population, according to a report released Wednesday under a law designed to address racial profiling of motorists and pedestrians by police. The annual report, compiled by California’s Racial and Identity Profiling … Read more
