APPROVED AS TO FORM AND LEGALITY
________________________
CITY ATTORNEY’S OFFICE
OAKLAND CITY COUNCIL
RESOLUTION NO. ______________ C.M.S.
RESOLUTION REJECTING THE POLICE COMMISSION SELECTION
PANEL’S SLATE OF RICARDO GARCIA -ACOSTA AND OMAR
FARMER TO SERVE ON THE OAKLAND POLICE COMMISSION
WHEREAS, City Charter section 604 establishes a seven-member Police Commission to oversee the Oakland Police Department in order to ensure that its policies, practices, and customs conform to national standards of constitutional policing; and
WHEREAS, City Charter Section 604(c)(2) requires the Mayor to appoint three Oakland residents as regular members of the Police Commission and one Oakland resident as an alternate member; and
WHEREAS, City Charter Section 604(c)(3) established a nine-member Selection Panel to review, interview, and select candidates for four regular Police Commission positions and one alternate position; and
WHEREAS, City Charter Section 604(c)(3) provides that each year the Selection Panel shall reconvene as needed to designate replacements for the four regular members and one alternate member vacancies initially filled by the Selection Panel, and the Selection Panel shall submit a slate of names to the City Council for acceptance or rejection; and
WHEREAS, City Charter Section 604(c)(3) provides that if the City Council does not accept or reject the entire slate within 60 days of completion of the background checks and submission by the Selection Panel, all designated replacements shall be deemed appointed; and
WHEREAS, the terms of Commissioner Ricardo Garcia -Acosta and Alternate Commissioner Omar Farmer were set to expire on October 16, 2025; and
WHEREAS, on July 22, 2025, at a special meeting, the Selection Panel selected Ricardo Garcia-Acosta and Omar Farmer as nominees for the Police Commission, and background checks were previously completed for Ricardo Garcia-Acosta on November 8, 2023, and for Omar Farmer on June 19, 2024; and
2 WHEREAS, a resolution to accept the Selection Panel’s slate of nominees was included on the September 25, 2025 Rules and Legislation Committee scheduling agenda for scheduling by the Committee and at the meeting, the Rules Committee withdrew the resolution to accept the Selection Panel’s slate of nominees with no scheduling date; and
WHEREAS, the resolution to accept the Selection Panel’s slate of nominees was subsequently included on the October 2, 2025 Rules and Legislation Committee scheduling agenda for scheduling by the Committee and at the October 2 , 2025 meeting, the Rules Committee scheduled the resolution for substantive consideration at the October 16, 2026 Rules and Legislation Committee; and
WHEREAS, on October 16, 2025, the Rules and Legislation Committee considered the resolution to accept the Selection Panel’s slate of nominees and forwarded the resolution to the next City Council meeting on October 21, 2025; and
WHEREAS, on October 21, 2025, the City Council, by vote of seven ayes and one absent, adopted a motion rejecting the Selection Panel’s slate of nominees for the Police Commission consisting of Ricardo Garcia-Acosta and Omar Farmer; and
WHEREAS, on December 18, 2025, the Selection Panel unanimously voted to resubmit to the City Council a slate of nominees for the Police Commission consisting of Ricardo Garcia- Acosta and Omar Farmer; and
WHEREAS, City Administration will ensure background checks are completed for Ricardo Garcia-Acosta and Omar Farmer prior to City Council consideration of this resolution ; now, therefore, be it
3 RESOLVED: That pursuant to City Charter Section 604(c)(3)(c), the City Council hereby rejects the Selection Panel ’s entire slate of nominees to serve as members of the Police Commission, as follows:
Ricardo Garcia-Acosta (Regular Commissioner)
Term: October 17, 2025 – October 16, 2028
Omar Farmer (Alternate Commissioner)
Term: October 17, 2025 – October 16, 2028
IN COUNCIL, OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA,
PASSED BY THE FOLLOWING VOTE:
AYES - BROWN, FIFE, GALLO, HOUSTON, RAMACHANDRAN, UNGER, WANG, AND
PRESIDENT JENKINS
ABSENT –
ABSTENTION –
ATTEST:
ASHA REED
City Clerk and Clerk of the Council of the
City of Oakland, California
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