The mayor of Antioch expressed his frustration Monday about the state of the city’s police department as eight officers are being investigated by both the district attorney and the FBI.
“I’m certainly sorry we find ourselves in these circumstances,” said Mayor Lamar Thorpe. “Be patient with us in government.”
The mayor didn’t elaborate on the crimes they committed but the eight officers make up 15% of the city’s total patrol division.
“It continues to hamper our ability to do the work and keep the community safe and to the extent we can try to fix that, we will,” said Thorpe.
As for trying to fix the situation, the mayor says he plans to appoint Cornelius Johnson as Antioch's permanent city manager and Steve Ford as the permanent chief of police.
Both men have held interim roles for the city.
The mayor said both men bring decades of experience, specifically experience in police reform.
Local
Ford joined Monday’s press conference via Zoom and said, “Moving forward we will be purposeful in restoring trust and legitimacy from our citizenry.”
Johnson was in attendance, and said he looks forward to the work ahead.
Get a weekly recap of the latest San Francisco Bay Area housing news. Sign up for NBC Bay Area’s Housing Deconstructed newsletter.
“We’re here to bring some continuity and bring accountability, it’s essential,” he said.
The mayor will hold a special meeting Friday to formally appoint Johnson, who will eventually appoint Ford as chief of police.
He hopes the changes will provide the stability needed to navigate what lies ahead for the department and ensure residents have faith in the officers they call for help.
