Whether it was the mayor, a city department, or someone else who dropped the ball, the auditor hopes to have an answer in February

The head of the Oakland Police Union is fired up after a new report in the online publication The Oaklandside uncovered emails of city staffers questioning OPD’s role in the city’s failure to submit for a state retail theft prevention grant. 

And the OPOA thinks Mayor Sheng Thao is now trying to pin it on the police. 

“We’re seeing an anti-police campaign smearing the police officers, who did their duty trying to point the finger at those who actually come to work every day and serve this community,” said Barry Donelan, Oakland Police Officers’ Association president. “What we’re seeing now, her administration is pushing out emails suggesting it’s the police department’s fault when in fact, it has nothing to do with us. It’s her administration‘s fault.”

The Mayor has publicly taken responsibility for the misstep, most recently during the State of the City address. And her staff says nothing has changed.