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Agenda Item
S8 26-0069 Subject: Selection Panel Nominations For Police Commissioner Appointments
From: Office Of The City Administrator
Recommendation: Adopt A Resolution Accepting The Police Commission Selection Panel's Slate Of Two Commissioners, Ricardo Garcia-Acosta And Omar Farmer, To Serve On The Oakland Police Commission
Oakland stands at a crossroads, demanding transparency and justice in the reappointment of its Selection Panel. The unexplained delay and silence from the City Council have fueled public frustration and suspicion, undermining trust in our institutions. When leaders fail to communicate, it breeds rumors and erodes faith in governance.
Ricardo Garcia-Acosta and Omar Farmer, dedicated volunteers, have served Oakland with excellence and deserve swift reappointment—not obstruction.
This delay sends a damaging message:
that political gamesmanship outweighs the public good and discourages civic participation.
Oakland cannot afford to lose principled leaders to bureaucracy or infighting. We demand immediate action, clear communication, and respect for those who serve. Transparency is essential for trust; the council must break its silence, explain the holdup, and restore faith in our city’s leadership. Oakland’s future depends on integrity, accountability, and honoring those who strengthen our community. The time for silence has passed—speak now, expain now, debate now, act now, reappoint now .
I’m urging the Council to reject any reappointment slate that includes Alternate Commissioner Omar Farmer.
My concerns are not personal—they are procedural and governance-based. Commissioner Farmer has repeatedly acted outside the Police Commission’s Charter authority, directed OPD staff, and involved himself in matters far beyond the Commission’s legal scope.
He authored and delivered a statement to the federal court requesting that the Commission be made “Co-Compliance Director,” a role not authorized under Charter §604. He has also attempted to influence labor negotiations with the Oakland Police Officers’ Association, directed OPD personnel to assist with his personal initiatives, and raised non-agendized items in violation of the Brown Act.
Commissioner Farmer has openly acknowledged having a complaint against OPD, creating an appearance of conflict that undermines impartial oversight. His conduct—along with the Chair’s willingness to treat him as a “subject-matter expert”—has silenced differing voices and eroded the Commission’s credibility.
Mayor Lee is already filling her two vacancies, so quorum will not be affected if the Selection Panel revises its slate. Please urge the Panel not to include Commissioner Farmer and uphold accountability and balance in Oakland’s civilian oversight.
I am asking for accountability - to hold commissioners accountable to the same level as City Council and the Police Department
Omar Farmer has tried to extend the commission’s power by interfering with the NSA and labor negotiations.
Omar Farmer has a conflict of interest because he has an open complaint against OPD.
Omar Farmer has silenced commissioners with opposing viewpoints (such as not including Commissioner Dawit’s comments in the review of militarized equipment)
OPPOSE this Slate....Send the Police Commission a clear message - OAKLAND wants Public Safety. Everett and Jones one of the few Black owned business burglarized for the 5th time last night...help the community - bring change by OPPOSING S8.
I strongly support the slate of re-appointments to the Police Commission. This process has already taken too long, and the Commission needs to be at full strength to begin the search for a new Police Chief. Both candidates have proven their dedication and competence in their first term and their re-appointment should not be controversial.
This is not the time to obstruct the work of the Police Commission. They need to find a new Police Chief. That's a big task, and urgent.
These two commissioners have already proven themselves on the Police Commission. They are doing excellent work, and they should be reappointed.
The Selection Panel does not always recommend reappointing commissioners. The Selection Panel goes through a rigorous process before deciding whether sitting commissioners should be reappointed or replaced with new people. If you reject this slate, they will have to start the process over again, and I doubt they will find better people than Ricardo Garcia-Acosta and Omar Farmer. They didn't last time.
Please don't disrupt the work the Police Commission has on its plate at this time.
Garcia-Acosta and Farmer should've been reappointed weeks ago on consent. 27 other things on consent, this is the only item on non-consent in this entire meeting? Let these men do this essential work for which they are volunteering and have proven themselves competent & skilled.
Oakland stands at a crossroads, demanding transparency and justice in the reappointment of its Selection Panel. The unexplained delay and silence from the City Council have fueled public frustration and suspicion, undermining trust in our institutions. When leaders fail to communicate, it breeds rumors and erodes faith in governance.
Ricardo Garcia-Acosta and Omar Farmer, dedicated volunteers, have served Oakland with excellence and deserve swift reappointment—not obstruction.
This delay sends a damaging message:
that political gamesmanship outweighs the public good and discourages civic participation.
Oakland cannot afford to lose principled leaders to bureaucracy or infighting. We demand immediate action, clear communication, and respect for those who serve. Transparency is essential for trust; the council must break its silence, explain the holdup, and restore faith in our city’s leadership. Oakland’s future depends on integrity, accountability, and honoring those who strengthen our community. The time for silence has passed—speak now, expain now, debate now, act now, reappoint now .
Oppose Omar Farmer
I’m urging the Council to reject any reappointment slate that includes Alternate Commissioner Omar Farmer.
My concerns are not personal—they are procedural and governance-based. Commissioner Farmer has repeatedly acted outside the Police Commission’s Charter authority, directed OPD staff, and involved himself in matters far beyond the Commission’s legal scope.
He authored and delivered a statement to the federal court requesting that the Commission be made “Co-Compliance Director,” a role not authorized under Charter §604. He has also attempted to influence labor negotiations with the Oakland Police Officers’ Association, directed OPD personnel to assist with his personal initiatives, and raised non-agendized items in violation of the Brown Act.
Commissioner Farmer has openly acknowledged having a complaint against OPD, creating an appearance of conflict that undermines impartial oversight. His conduct—along with the Chair’s willingness to treat him as a “subject-matter expert”—has silenced differing voices and eroded the Commission’s credibility.
Mayor Lee is already filling her two vacancies, so quorum will not be affected if the Selection Panel revises its slate. Please urge the Panel not to include Commissioner Farmer and uphold accountability and balance in Oakland’s civilian oversight.
I am asking for accountability - to hold commissioners accountable to the same level as City Council and the Police Department
Omar Farmer has tried to extend the commission’s power by interfering with the NSA and labor negotiations.
Omar Farmer has a conflict of interest because he has an open complaint against OPD.
Omar Farmer has silenced commissioners with opposing viewpoints (such as not including Commissioner Dawit’s comments in the review of militarized equipment)
OPPOSE this Slate....Send the Police Commission a clear message - OAKLAND wants Public Safety. Everett and Jones one of the few Black owned business burglarized for the 5th time last night...help the community - bring change by OPPOSING S8.
I strongly support the slate of re-appointments to the Police Commission. This process has already taken too long, and the Commission needs to be at full strength to begin the search for a new Police Chief. Both candidates have proven their dedication and competence in their first term and their re-appointment should not be controversial.
This is not the time to obstruct the work of the Police Commission. They need to find a new Police Chief. That's a big task, and urgent.
These two commissioners have already proven themselves on the Police Commission. They are doing excellent work, and they should be reappointed.
The Selection Panel does not always recommend reappointing commissioners. The Selection Panel goes through a rigorous process before deciding whether sitting commissioners should be reappointed or replaced with new people. If you reject this slate, they will have to start the process over again, and I doubt they will find better people than Ricardo Garcia-Acosta and Omar Farmer. They didn't last time.
Please don't disrupt the work the Police Commission has on its plate at this time.
Garcia-Acosta and Farmer should've been reappointed weeks ago on consent. 27 other things on consent, this is the only item on non-consent in this entire meeting? Let these men do this essential work for which they are volunteering and have proven themselves competent & skilled.