Oakland NAACP supports effort to recall Mayor Sheng Thao

With just one month until Election Day, the Oakland chapter of the NAACP on Monday recommended voters remove the city’s mayor from office.

The Oakland NAACP formerly threw its support behind efforts to recall Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao, but the mayor’s supporters continue to rally behind her.

"The NAACP fervently believes that Mayor Thao poses a serious threat to the well-being of our great city," Patrice Waugh with the Oakland NAACP said. "Her actions and inactions have clearly demonstrated her inability to govern, thus endangering the safety of Oaklanders."

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The Oakland NAACP said Thao unjustly fired former police Chief LeRonne Armstrong, leading to an increase in crime. They also blasted Thao for missing the deadline to secure a retail theft grant and said she has refused repeated requests to meet with them to discuss their concerns.

"Oakland is not the same," Waugh said. "Oakland has changed, not for the best, but for the worst. Oakland is out of control. I’m scared to even be in my own home at times by myself because I’m afraid someone might kick my door in."

Thao and her supporters held their own news conference near the Rockridge BART station on Sunday. Thao touted her accomplishments and insisted violent crime is down.

"Under my leadership as mayor of Oakland, we’ve made tremendous progress," she said. "Crime is down by 35%, and our downtown is coming back to life with more and more foot traffic every single day."