The drama surrounding Oakland’s beleaguered police department is now reaching cinematic proportions. The latest: Mayor Libby Schaaf has fired new interim police chief Ben Fairow less than one week after he was hired to replace embattled chief Sean Whent.
No one knows the reason for Fairow’s termination because Schaaf said state law forbids her from disclosing details. But her statement on the firing was cryptic enough to give pause.
“I have just received information that has caused me to lose confidence in Ben Fairow’s ability to lead the Oakland Police Department at this particular moment in time,” Schaaf said Wednesday. “OPD staff, members of our community and City leadership deserve to have complete trust and confidence in our Chief, especially during this critical transition."
That’s easier said than done. It’s still not clear why the last chief resigned, or even whether his departure was voluntary or not. What we do know is that it came amid a widening sex scandal involving an underage girl and members of more than one law enforcement agency.
Assistant Chief Paul Figueroa is assuming police chief duties while the city continues its search for a permanent replacement. For now, that is.
Read more about Fairow’s termination and the ongoing problems facing the department here.
Image Credit: Flickr User gregveen, https://flic.kr/p/C3q83 via (CC BY-SA 2.0)