Rules & Legislation Committee
October 16, 2025
AGENDA REPORT
TO: Jestin D. Johnson
City Administrator
FROM: Felicia Verdin
Assistant to the City
Administrator
SUBJECT: Selection Panel Nominations for
Police Commissioner Appointments
DATE: September 30, 2025
City Administrator Approval Date:
RE
COMMENDATION
S
taff Recommends That The City Council 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
EXEC
UTIVE SUMMARY
I
n accordance with the City Charter, City Council’s approval of the resolution will accept the Selection Panel’s slate of nominees, Ricardo Garcia-Acosta and Omar Farmer, to serve on the Police Commission. With the City Council’s approval, Ricardo Garcia-Acosta will be appointed as a full Police Commissioner for a three-year term beginning on October 17, 2025, and ending on October 16, 2028. Omar Farmer will be appointed as an Alternate Commissioner with a term beginning on October 17, 2025, and ending on October 16, 2028.
BA
CKGROUND / LEGISLATIVE HISTORY
The O
akland Police Commission was first established by voter approval through Measure LL on November 8, 2016, and later amended through Measure S1 on November 3, 2020. Measures LL and S1 established a seven-member Police Commission, with two alternate commissioners, charged with overseeing the Oakland Police Department (OPD) to ensure that its policies, practices, and customs meet national standards of constitutional policing. Duties of Police Commissioners include overseeing the Community Police Review Agency (CPRA), which conducts investigations into allegations of officer misconduct, overseeing the Office of the Inspector General (OIG), which performs independent audits of OPD, proposing changes to, approving, or rejecting current or proposed OPD policies, hiring and removing the Chief of Police, and other duties.
M
easures LL and S1 also established a nomination process whereby a nine-person Selection Panel is responsible for nominating four (4) Commissioners and one (1) Alternate Commissioner to the Police Commission. The Mayor is responsible for nominating the other three (3) Commissioners and one (1) Alternate Commissioner to the Police Commission. All nominations are subject to City Council approval. The Mayor and each City Council Member Jestin Johnson (Oct 2, 2025 15:20:38 PDT)
10/02/2025
Jestin D. Johnson, City Administrator
Subject: Selection Panel Nominations for Police Commissioner Appointments Date: September 30, 2025 Page 2
Rules & Legislation Committee
October 16, 2025
select an individual to serve on the Selection Panel. The Selection Panel meets as needed to determine its selection process, including reviewing applications, interviewing candidates, and selecting commissioners.
AN
ALYSIS AND POLICY ALTERNATIVES
Thi
s recommendation is connected to the citywide priority of holistic community safety. The work of the Selection Panel to nominate Police Commissioners is important to public safety, ensuring that Commissioners have the necessary experience to fulfill their duties. The Police Commission is responsible for overseeing policies and other work that govern OPD, the OIG, and CPRA.
For
the 2025 nomination period, the Selection Panel was tasked with selecting two commissioners whose terms are set to expire on October 16, 2025.
I
n the spring of 2025, the Selection Panel conducted an extensive community outreach process, encouraging community members to apply to serve on the Police Commission. During the summer months, the Selection Panel interviewed 4 applicants over the course of two rounds of interviews.
The
Selection Panel selected two (2) candidates as its nominees to the Police Commission:
Ricardo Garcia-Acosta and Omar Farmer. Mr. Garcia-Acosta was previously selected to serve on the Police Commission as a full commissioner. His original appointment as a Police Commission was approved by City Council on November 13, 2023, pursuant to City Council Resolution No. 89985 C.M.S. Mr. Farmer was appointed by the Selection Panel as Alternate Police Commission and his original appointment was approved by City council on June 18, 2024, pursuant to Resolution No. 90315 C.M.S. Commissioners Garcia-Acosta and Farmer applied to the Selection Panel as incumbents during their 2025 nomination process and following an extensive process were selected as nominees.
Mr. G
arcia-Acosta and Mr. Farmer’s application materials are included herein as Attachments A and B.
I
f the City Council does not take any action on these nominations within sixty (60) days, the two nominees shall be deemed appointed to the Police Commission pursuant to City Charter Section 604(c)(3)(c).
F
ISCAL IMPACT
Ther
e is no direct fiscal impact associated with City Council action on this report.
P
UBLIC OUTREACH / INTEREST
P
ublic outreach for the Police Commission vacancies were conducted through a press release, postings on social media including Nextdoor, emails to local nonprofits and ads placed in the Oakland Post and El Mundo.
Jestin D. Johnson, City Administrator
Subject: Selection Panel Nominations for Police Commissioner Appointments Date: September 30, 2025 Page 3
Rule & Legislation Committee
October 16, 2025
COORDINATION
Thi
s report has been prepared in coordination with the Office of the City Attorney.
S
USTAINABLE OPPORTUNITIES
E
conomic: There are no economic opportunities associated with this report.
E
nvironmental: There are no environmental opportunities associated with this report.
R
ace & Equity: There are no race and equity opportunities associated with this report.
A
CTION REQUESTED OF THE CITY COUNCIL
S
taff Recommends That The City Council 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.
For
questions regarding this report, please contact Felicia Verdin, Assistant to the City Administrator, at (510) 238-3128.
R
espectfully submitted,
Fel
icia Verdin
Assistant to the City Administrator
A
ttachments (2):
A. Ric
ardo Garcia-Acosta – Application for Police Commissioner B. Omar Farmer – Application for Police Commissioner