City Council
July 21, 2026
TO: Elizabeth Lake FROM: Michelle Phillips
Interim City Administrator Assistant City Administrator SUBJECT: Selection Panel Nominations for
Police Commissioner Appointments
DATE: July 21st, 2026
City Administrator Approval Date:
RECOMMENDATION
Staff Recommend That The City Council Adopt One Of The Following Resolutions:
A Resolution Accepting The Police Commission Selection Panel’s Slate Of Ricardo Garcia- Acosta And Joey Harrison To Serve On The Oakland Police Commission; Or A Resolution Rejecting The Police Commission Selection Panel’s S late Of Ricardo Garcia-Acosta And Joey Harrison To Serve On The Oakland Police Commission.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
In accordance with the City Charter, the Police Commission Selection Panel has submitted its recommended nominees to fill two vacancies on the Oakland Police Commission. The City Council will consider the attached resolution to either accept or reject the Selection Panel’s nominations of Ricardo Garcia-Acosta and Joey Harrison.
After the City Council declined the Selection Panel’s previously submitted slate on two occasions, (10/21/25 - Legislation and 12/22/2025 - Legislation) the Selection Panel conducted a new recruitment and selection process. The process included outreach, application review, candidate interviews, and a standardized evaluation. Following this process, the Selection Panel selected Ricardo Garcia-Acosta and Joey Harrison as its recommended nominees.
Under Section 604(c)(3) of the Oakland City Charter, the Selection Panel is responsible for submitting a recommended slate of nominees to the City Council for consideration.
BACKGROUND / LEGISLATIVE HISTORY
The Oakland 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.
AGENDA REPORT
Betsy Lake (Jul 9, 2026 21:16:13 PDT)
Jul 9, 2026
Elizabeth Lake, Interim City Administrator
Subject: Selection Panel Nominations for Police Commissioner Appointments Date: July 21, 2026 Page 2
City Council
July 21, 2026
The duties of Police Commissioners include overseeing the Community Police Review Agency (CPRA), which investigates allegations of police misconduct; overseeing the Office of the Inspector General (OIG), which conducts independent audits of OPD; reviewing and approving OPD policies; hiring and removing the Chief of Police; and carrying out other responsibilities established by the City Charter.
Measures LL and S1 also established a nomination process whereby a nine- member Selection Panel is responsible for nominating four Police Commissioners and one Alternate Commissioner.
The Mayor appoints the remaining three Commissioners and one Alternate Commissioner. All appointments are subject to City Council approval.
ANALYSIS AND POLICY ALTERNATIVES
This recommendation supports the City's priority of promoting holistic community safety through effective civilian oversight of the Oakland Police Department.
Following the City Council's rejection of the Selection Panel's previously submitted slate on two separate occasions, the Selection Panel reopened the recruitment process to fill the vacant Police Commissioner positions.
Staff developed updated outreach materials, including revised recruitment flyers and a promotional plan, to encourage broad community participation and attract a diverse applicant pool. The outreach strategy was intentionally designed to reach residents throughout every Council district by utilizing both City facilities and neighborhood businesses. The goal was to ensure that information about the vacancies was visible and accessible across Oakland rather than concentrated in any one area of the city.
Outreach efforts included:
• Posts on the City's social media platforms;
• Requests for City Councilmembers to distribute the opportunity through constituent newsletters;
• Social media promotion by several elected officials; and • Placement of recruitment flyers on community bulletin boards at libraries, neighborhood coffee shops, markets, and other local businesses throughout Oakland.
Printed outreach was disseminated at several locations throughout the City of Oakland, below are is a list of a few community sites:
• Oakland Main Library
• Rockridge Branch Library
• West Oakland Branch Library
• Diamond Branch Library
Elizabeth Lake, Interim City Administrator
Subject: Selection Panel Nominations for Police Commissioner Appointments Date: July 21, 2026 Page 3
City Council
July 21, 2026
• Fruitvale Branch Library
• Eastmont Branch Library
• Chipotle (Lakeshore)
• Highwire Coffee
• Hudson Bay Café
• Philz Coffee
• Sana’a Café-Telegraph and Broadway Locations
• It's a Grind Coffee House
• Prescott Market
• Additional neighborhood businesses and community gathering locations were visited and throughout Oakland.
These outreach efforts resulted in forty-five (45) applications.
The Selection Panel conducted a two-round selection process. During the first round, panel members independently reviewed all applications, and each identified their top ten candidates.
The panel then voted on which applicants would advance to background, reference checks and interviews.
During the second round, the Selection Panel interviewed finalists, evaluated each candidate using a standardized scoring process, and selected Ricardo Garcia-Acosta and Joey Harrison as its recommended slate for appointment.
Pursuant to Oakland City Charter Section 604(c)(3), the City Council may either approve or reject the Selection Panel's recommended slate
RELATED PLANNING EFFORTS
This agenda item is a routine item and does not relate to any Oakland strategic planning efforts.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no direct fiscal impact associated with City Council action on this report.
PUBLIC OUTREACH / INTEREST
The outreach strategy intentionally targeted every Council district by combining digital outreach with in-person placement of recruitment materials on community bulletin boards at City facilities and neighborhood businesses. Recruitment information was shared through the City's social Elizabeth Lake, Interim City Administrator
Subject: Selection Panel Nominations for Police Commissioner Appointments Date: July 21, 2026 Page 4
City Council
July 21, 2026
media platforms and the social media accounts of elected officials.
Printed recruitment flyers were posted on community bulletin boards across Oakland and these outreach efforts resulted in a total of forty-five (45) applications for consideration by the Selection Panel.
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Elizabeth Lake, Interim City Administrator
Subject: Selection Panel Nominations for Police Commissioner Appointments Date: July 21, 2026 Page 5
City Council
July 21, 2026
COORDINATION
This report has been prepared in coordination with the Office of the City Attorney and the City Administrator's Office.
RACE AND EQUITY
There are no race and equity opportunities associated with this report.
ACTION REQUESTED OF THE CITY COUNCIL
Staff Recommend That The City Council Adopt One Of The Following Resolutions:
A Resolution Accepting The Police Commission Selection Panel’s Slate Of Ricardo Garcia-Acosta And Joey Harrison To Serve On The Oakland Police Commission; Or A Resolution Rejecting The Police Commission Selection Panel’s Slate Of Ricardo Garcia- Acosta And Joey Harrison To Serve On The Oakland Police Commission.
For questions regarding this report, please contact Burt Jones at [email protected].
Respectfully Submitted,
Michelle Phillips
Assistant City Administrator