Add Paul Figueroa to the growing list of former Oakland police chiefs.
Figueroa, who served two days as the city’s sixth police chief since 2011, stepped down from his position as acting chief and assistant chief, Mayor Libby Schaaf announced late Friday during a press conference.
“As a Mayor of Oakland I am here to run a police department, not a frat house,” Schaaf said.
The mayor also called the culture at the police department “toxic” and “macho.”
Meanwhile, Figueroa is now on leave and has asked to return as a captain, according to Schaaf.
It is unclear what prompted the dismissal but in the press conference to announce the decision, Mayor Schaaf addressed the recent revelations in regards to racist text messages sent in 2014 which depict images of the Ku Klux Klan and use the N-word.
Schaaf called the text messages “unacceptable hate speech,” and thought it was also important to note the text messages were sent by African American officers.
Mayor Schaaf said that she will not appoint another acting chief. City Administrator Sabrina Landreth, who previously served as Emeryville’s city manager, will temporarily take over control of the department.
There have been six Oakland police chief’s since 2011.