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Agenda Item
5.1 26-0331 Subject: Selection Panel Nominations For Police Commissioner Appointments
From: Office Of The City Administrator
Recommendation: Adopt One Of The Following Pieces Of Legislation:
1) A Resolution Accepting The Police Commission Selection Panel's Slate Of Ricardo Garcia-Acosta And Omar Farmer To Serve On The Oakland Police Commission; Or
Please accept the police commission selection panels recommendation to reappoint these two volunteer public servants. Public Safety requires robust police oversight and accountability. City Council needs to reflect on the strong recommendations of its advisory panels. The public knows that city council’s prior rejection of these appointments was done in collusion with the OPOA. If the OPOA by default selects their own police commissioners we don’t have actual police oversight and accountability and the public, and all of us are less safe. This unhinged right wing city council failed us by approving expansion of Flock even though the OPD’s own documents presented to the council proves they are allowing ICE to access the data Flock collects. Rejecting these appointments would show to the public that our city council has no interest in actual public safety but rather giving the same police department responsible for the Rider’s scandal unchecked power. This is wrong and City Council knows it. Since the approval of Flock last month was illegal, the public has no confidence that City Council’s utter disrespect of these two public servants is above board. Please, finally, do the right thing for the actual public safety of the city we love and approve these two reappointments. Sincerely, Jesse District 1
I am asking the Council to respect the decision of the Selection Panel whose members are appointed by yourselves and vote for Resolution A.
It seems that you are comfortable with Ricardo Garcia-Acosta but not with Omar Farmer. While it is true that Mr. Farmer has an asse3rtive personality, it is also true that he does his research and is respected by his colleagues, even when they don't agree with him positions. That is what a good commission should look like: a democratic process where ideas are exchanged in good faith and a deliberation ensues. And he has been criticized for his demeanor after having been rejected and disrespected, he felt. At least one of your fellow Council members has also behaved for more questionably when he felt he was disrespected, so are we endorsing a higher standard for a community volunteer than for an elected official?
Please uphold the nominations of the Selection Panel and voted for Resolution A. Thank you.
Please don't let the police union influence who gets appointed to the Police Commission. That's like letting the fox decide who will guard the henhouse.
Please accept the Selection Panel's slate. The only people who have a problem with Omar Farmer and Ricardo Garcia-Acosta are the people they oversee and the people who want to dismantle the Police Commission. Rajni Mandal has said publicly that she wanted to "recall" the Police Commission. When she found out that was impossible, she wanted to eliminate it. Now she wants to infiltrate it, by removing effective commissioners and replacing them with people who oppose oversight. Don't let her do it. Vote to accept the Selection Panel's slate.
Please confirm the appointments of Chair Garcia-Acosta and Commissioner Farmer. As attested by their resumes, they are exceptionally qualified to continue their roles. In all of their meetings, both are very professional and for the first time in many years, the Oakland Police Commission has commissioners working as a team and deliberating on important issues. Continue the good work of the Oakland Police Commission and confirm their appointments.
Please accept the police commission selection panels recommendation to reappoint these two volunteer public servants. Public Safety requires robust police oversight and accountability. City Council needs to reflect on the strong recommendations of its advisory panels. The public knows that city council’s prior rejection of these appointments was done in collusion with the OPOA. If the OPOA by default selects their own police commissioners we don’t have actual police oversight and accountability and the public, and all of us are less safe. This unhinged right wing city council failed us by approving expansion of Flock even though the OPD’s own documents presented to the council proves they are allowing ICE to access the data Flock collects. Rejecting these appointments would show to the public that our city council has no interest in actual public safety but rather giving the same police department responsible for the Rider’s scandal unchecked power. This is wrong and City Council knows it. Since the approval of Flock last month was illegal, the public has no confidence that City Council’s utter disrespect of these two public servants is above board. Please, finally, do the right thing for the actual public safety of the city we love and approve these two reappointments. Sincerely, Jesse District 1
I am asking the Council to respect the decision of the Selection Panel whose members are appointed by yourselves and vote for Resolution A.
It seems that you are comfortable with Ricardo Garcia-Acosta but not with Omar Farmer. While it is true that Mr. Farmer has an asse3rtive personality, it is also true that he does his research and is respected by his colleagues, even when they don't agree with him positions. That is what a good commission should look like: a democratic process where ideas are exchanged in good faith and a deliberation ensues. And he has been criticized for his demeanor after having been rejected and disrespected, he felt. At least one of your fellow Council members has also behaved for more questionably when he felt he was disrespected, so are we endorsing a higher standard for a community volunteer than for an elected official?
Please uphold the nominations of the Selection Panel and voted for Resolution A. Thank you.
Please don't let the police union influence who gets appointed to the Police Commission. That's like letting the fox decide who will guard the henhouse.
Please accept the Selection Panel's slate. The only people who have a problem with Omar Farmer and Ricardo Garcia-Acosta are the people they oversee and the people who want to dismantle the Police Commission. Rajni Mandal has said publicly that she wanted to "recall" the Police Commission. When she found out that was impossible, she wanted to eliminate it. Now she wants to infiltrate it, by removing effective commissioners and replacing them with people who oppose oversight. Don't let her do it. Vote to accept the Selection Panel's slate.
Please confirm the appointments of Chair Garcia-Acosta and Commissioner Farmer. As attested by their resumes, they are exceptionally qualified to continue their roles. In all of their meetings, both are very professional and for the first time in many years, the Oakland Police Commission has commissioners working as a team and deliberating on important issues. Continue the good work of the Oakland Police Commission and confirm their appointments.