Criticism and praise
During the second week of Quan's tenure in January 2011,it was discovered Oakland Police chief Anthony Batts was a top-two candidate for the open position of San Jose Police chief. [19] Two weeks later,Quan introduced a plan for the police department which included updating the technological staff and rehiring 10 of the 80 officers who were laid off the previous year. [20] Batts announced his intention to remain in Oakland a few days later,but eventually resigned in October of the same year. [21]
A KPIX/CBS5 poll taken just before Quan's first 100 days revealed that her job performance "garners the approval of the city's residents by a 2–1 margin." [22] The Capitol Weekly named Mayor Quan one of the top ten "Good" Mayors in the state. [23] A KPIX poll six months later,taken shortly after the resignation of Chief Batts,listed an approval rating of 28 percent,with 69 percent responding with "little or no confidence" the mayor's ability to reduce the city's crime problem. [24]
Quan remained unpopular in the city of Oakland. A 2013 SurveyUSA poll found 60 percent of residents disapproved of her job performance and 65 percent said the city was on the wrong track,with crime the voters' primary concern. The Asian-American community gave her the lowest marks,with 67 percent disapproving of her performance. [25]
2011 Occupy Oakland protest
Quan received widespread national criticism in October 2011 for her handling of the Occupy Oakland protest. [26] On October 11, Quan visited the protest site. [27] Thirteen days later more than 500 police officers from Oakland, other area police departments, and the State of California were directed to use tear gas and batons to clear the plaza where the protests were being held. Quan was in Washington, D.C. at the time on city business. [28] Quan issued a statement the next morning commending the police chief "for a generally peaceful resolution to a situation". [29] That night, hundreds of police used tear gas, rubber bullets, and flashbang grenades to subdue and arrest over 100 protesters, though denied the use of rubber bullets and flashbang grenades during the press release. The mayor's office was flooded with demands that protesters be released [30] and her legal adviser opposed the police action and threatened to resign. [31]
By November 14, two of Quan's top advisors, legal advisor Dan Siegel and Deputy Mayor Sharon Cornu, had resigned. [32]
Quan was criticized for apparent insensitivity at an Oakland City Council meeting on March 6, 2013. In a conversation with war veteran Scott Olsen, she accused him of having a "chip on his shoulder". Later, Olsen tweeted, "J. Quan told me she realizes I have a chip on my shoulder. Insulting, more like a broken skull and brain trauma." [33]
Recall petition
On December 7, 2011, the Oakland City Clerk's office approved the request by the Committee to Recall Jean Quan to begin collecting signatures to qualify a recall measure for a future ballot. [34] The committee failed to collect enough signatures to qualify for a measure on the November 2012 ballot. [35]
