As Oakland grapples with rising violent crime, one city leader who voted against adding more money to the police budget in June has shifted her position.

Council Member Sheng Thao was one of six who voted in June to only fund four police academies over two years. At the time, Thao said that if she felt “funding a fifth academy would make my son safer, I would vote for it today.”

During the meeting, Thao said she was open to adding a fifth academy “in the future” after having conversations with the police chief about how to produce better graduation rates from the academy.

In the months since that vote, homicides continued to spike and some residents — including some of Thao’s constituents — pressured leaders to add more police resources.

Thao said this week that she plans to introduce a resolution at the Sept. 21 City Council meeting to immediately fund an additional police academy this fiscal year and a second next year.

Thao’s changing position signals a shift among some city leaders as public safety becomes a top issue.

So far in 2021, Oakland has seen 88 homicides, compared to 64 at this time last year.

Though a mayoral election is slated for November 2022, Thao said she is not “actively working” toward a mayoral run, but may change her mind in the future.

Thao’s decision has been mostly applauded by city officials, who say the need for more officers is critical, but some criticized her shift.

“I am shocked that she is proposing the exact thing that she voted against two months ago,” said Council Member Loren Taylor, who had proposed funding five police academies in June. His proposal was rejected. “It is disingenuous to portray yourself as an advocate. She was on the wrong side of history and is trying to correct it.”

Thao told The Chronicle on Tuesday that voting in June to add a fifth academy would have been fiscally irresponsible.

“It’s been fully vetted now,” Thao said. “It’s been worked on. We are not rushing the process. We are making sure we are fiscally responsible.”

She said her decision to push for two more academies over two years comes after she was able to “roll up her sleeves” and work with the chief. Chief LeRonne Armstrong meets with all council members regularly. Thao’s proposal directs the department to prioritize Oakland residents, people of color and women into the academies by teaming up with local colleges.

In June, Armstrong told the council he had begun working with Oakland’s school district and Merritt College to offer career opportunities at the department. Thao also wants city staff to study the cost of offering child care services for trainees.

Thao’s decision to support the fifth academy isn’t exactly surprising given her comments in June that she could fund it in the future, said Jim Ross, an Oakland-based political consultant.

Her shift, in part, could come from the recent news that Oakland has made significant headway in its reforms under federal oversight. It also could be related to the news that a program to dispatch counselors and paramedics from the Fire Department to mental health crises, instead of police officers, may not launch until February, Ross said. That’s later than many city leaders had hoped.

In May, Mayor Libby Schaaf proposed a two-year budget that would have increased funding for the Oakland Police Department by spending $693 million total. The mayor’s plan would have paid for two additional police recruit academies, bringing the total to six.

Instead, council members approved a budget that redirected about $18 million from the Police Department to fund violence prevention measures and social services. Those investments included about $30 million from the broader budget set aside for council members to allocate.

Justin Berton, a spokesman for Schaaf, said in a statement that the mayor’s initial proposal of six academies was meant to “maintain staff levels and provide all Oaklanders with a basic level of police service.”

Berton said Thao’s proposal, “offered just 10 weeks later,” gives council members “a second chance to address the reality of an understaffed OPD.”

Council President Nikki Fortunato Bas, whose budget Thao voted for in June, said she needs more information about Thao’s proposal and from the Police Department before supporting another police academy.

“I was really clear when we passed our budget, both in terms of the amendments and my policy directives, that we have to see more effectiveness in how we are currently running and spending on our two police academies per year,” Bas said. “We have to see much more success in recruitment, graduation and retention.”

On Tuesday, Barry Donelan, president of the Oakland Police Officers Association, blasted the council’s June decision again — pointing to a “shrinking” Police Department. The department recently fell below 700 sworn officers to 698 for the first time in six years, Donelan said.

“I absolutely support the idea of more academies,” he said of Thao’s proposal. “But the flip-flop is the irony here. She has voted to defund the police, and now faced with a staggering violent crime increase, it’s, ‘Uh-oh, can I do a redo and try and get new academies?’”

Thao said the Police Department saved on costs due to low graduation rates at prior police academies.

Paul Chambers, a spokesman for the Police Department, said the department was authorized and funded for 45 police officer trainees per academy for two academies. But in May, only 23 out of 45 trainees graduated after people dropped out. And a current police academy is set to graduate 26 out of 45 trainees — leaving 42 funded positions that won’t be filled.

The cost savings from those two academies could potentially fund another academy, he said.

A sixth academy next year could be funded by taking money out of the police’s overtime budget, Thao said. A 2019 city audit showed that the Police Department has averaged nearly $30 million in overtime costs over the previous four fiscal years.

Thao said, after talking to city staff, taking money from the overtime budget can be done.

Thao’s decision also comes amid escalating pressure from residents in her district who say crime is increasing and they are tired of delayed 911 response times.

Waheed Alsaidi, owner of Montclair Auto Shop, said he wants more community policing and social services to help deter crime.

He said his business has been hurt by crime as car break-ins have increased. Instead of having up to 15 cars in his lot to work on, he takes only three at a time so he can park them inside his auto shop to ward off potential break-ins. When he calls 911, nobody comes.

“It’s better to have enough police so they can help the residents,” Alsaidi said. “I don’t think there is enough because every time something happens and we call, they never show up.”

Alsaidi said more than 20 residents attended a community meeting last week with Thao and Armstrong to discuss issues in the district. Alsaidi, who was there, said residents were upset with Thao that she “was not voting in the right way.”

Thao said she’s had to explain to her constituents why she voted the way she did — to be fiscally responsible.

“Public safety has been so politicized in this city,” Thao said. “It’s not just one narrative. We need both police officers and we need violence interrupters and violence prevention, as well.”

Sarah Ravani is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: sravani@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @SarRavani