OAKLAND — For five months, Oakland Police Department Chief Floyd Mitchell routinely appeared at press conferences and public gatherings in a suit and tie — signs that he had yet to be fully certified to work as a law enforcement officer in California.
In a couple weeks, that should change.
Mitchell, who began leading the police force in May, is spending the entire month of October out of the office at a state-mandated requalification course with California’s Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training, the police department announced this week. He is expected to return to the job on Nov. 1.
The certification course marks another sign of Mitchell settling into a position that has been roiled for years by near-constant turmoil and turnover. At least a dozen people have rotated though the chief’s office since 2009, and on two occasions, the department cycled through three police chiefs within a single week.
Mitchell came to Oakland seeking to buck that trend after a lengthy and contentious selection process — one that saw Mayor Sheng Thao reject a full slate of candidates proposed by the Oakland Police Commission before finally selecting Mitchell. At an introductory press conference in March, he proclaimed “a love for public service,” adding flatly, “I’m not done policing.”
Mitchell signed a three-year contract that took effect May 11 and paid him $365,100 a year. The contract can be extended for two years without Oakland’s mayor seeking permission from City Council.
The chief — who arrived from Lubbock, Texas — also received a monthly housing allowance of $3,500 to use while seeking permanent housing in the Bay Area. It remained unclear this week whether he had bought a house yet in the region, with the Oakland Police Department’s communications unit calling his housing status “a personal matter.”
A city spokesman did not immediately reply to a message seeking an update on whether the chief is continuing to use the allowance, which expires Nov. 11.
Mitchell’s arrival from out of state — where he spent 25 years with the Kansas City police force and a pair of smaller Texas cities — meant jumping through a few extra hoops.
Per state law, police chiefs hired from outside of California must complete additional training through the state’s Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training, the accrediting agency for officers in California.
New hires need not take any training courses immediately. Rather, they have two years to undergo the certification process, during which time they can lead their respective agencies, the agency said. The only significant caveat is they can’t personally effectuate any arrests or carry out any official law enforcement duties — hence Mitchell’s lack of a uniform these past several months, the agency said.
Anne Kirkpatrick, the last Oakland police chief hired from out of state, took 10 months to complete her POST training.
Mitchell has spoken about the need to be certified at public meetings, and suggested that the 160-hour course didn’t start until this month.
“I can’t wait to get in uniform,” he said at a town hall meeting earlier this year.
While Mitchell is out, the police department it being led by Assistant Chief James Beere, the agency said.
“During this period, Chief Mitchell remains in close contact with city leadership, specifically City Administrator Jestin Johnson to ensure continuity of operations and decision-making,” the police department said in a social media post.