Former Oakland Police Chief Rulon Armstrong announced Wednesday morning that he is running for a seat on the Oakland City Council, slamming the city’s current “embarrassing” state of affairs.
Armstrong, 51, filed papers to represent the city at large for an already crowded at-large seat on the City Council, he said in an interview. san francisco chronicle Not only was the opening an “opportunity” for him, but the current situation in Oakland was “unacceptable.” (Related: “We can’t afford to wait”: Blue City residents join gun clubs in droves for self-defense as crime rises)
“The public has made it very clear that they want me to continue to serve the city of Oakland,” the former chief said. “This was an opportunity for me.”
“The current state of our city is embarrassing,” he added.
Armstrong is running against eight other candidates and is running on a platform of public safety, while also hoping to highlight the city’s fiscal crisis and skyrocketing homelessness, according to the SF Chronicle.
“The public perception of our city does not really represent who Oakland is. I’m trying to beautify our city and create the image I want Oakland to be, which is a beautiful city unlike any other in our state,” Armstrong told reporters on Wednesday.
The former police chief was fired last February by Mayor Sheng Tao, a Democrat, following an investigation into his mishandling of two incidents involving officers, but an independent arbitrator later cleared Armstrong of any wrongdoing and allowed him to sue the city for wrongful termination. according to To ABC7 News.
Armstrong, who currently lives in the 7th Ward, has no prior legislative experience, but the former police chief told reporters Wednesday that he is running one of the city’s largest departments with the city’s largest budget. He said he was leading. Armstrong’s supporters, including the Oakland NAACP branch, have already begun to express support for the former police chief. Robert Harris, executive director of the city organization, sided with Armstrong and told reporters Wednesday that the city’s problems are linked to public safety issues.
“Businesses are leaving because of security. People are afraid to go out on the streets because of security,” Harris said. “So when you look at the overall issues, it’s clear that Mayor Armstrong is the best person to serve on the City Council, in my opinion.”
