Executive Summary
- The Oakland City Council voted 6-2 to reject Police Commission nominees Ricardo Garcia-Acosta and Omar Farmer for the second time.
- Councilmember Carroll Fife argued the rejection was a “moving of goalposts,” while Council President Kevin Jenkins cited charter authority.
- Procedural questions were raised regarding the selection panel’s decision to resubmit the same names without reviewing new applicants.
- The council separately confirmed Mayor Barbara Lee’s appointment of former Judge Evelio Grillo to the commission.
The Oakland City Council voted 6–2 on Tuesday to reject a proposed slate of appointees to the Police Commission, marking the second time since October that the body has denied the nominations of Ricardo Garcia-Acosta and Omar Farmer. The vote has intensified an administrative standoff between the council and the commission’s selection panel, raising concerns about the stability of the city’s police oversight mechanisms.
According to city records, Councilmembers Noel Gallo and Carroll Fife cast the sole dissenting votes, supporting the reappointment of the two commissioners. The deadlock stems from a December 18 meeting where the Police Commission selection panel unanimously voted to resubmit the same nominees to the council. The panel reportedly did not review new applications submitted after the council’s initial rejection in October, a move that has drawn procedural scrutiny from city officials.
Councilmember Fife criticized the council’s decision during the meeting, arguing that objections to the candidates had shifted from concerns about their personalities to procedural technicalities. “What I’m hearing is a moving of goalposts,” Fife stated, suggesting the opposition lacked substantive grounds. Conversely, supporters of the slate alleged that the rejection was influenced by the Oakland Police Officers’ Association, noting that both Garcia-Acosta and Farmer have been vocal regarding police accountability.
Council President Kevin Jenkins rejected the notion that the council was undermining oversight. Jenkins asserted that the body was exercising its charter authority to properly vet and confirm appointments. Questions were also raised regarding the selection panel’s December meeting agenda, which listed an “update” rather than a voting item, potentially violating public notice requirements. In a separate action during the same session, the council confirmed Mayor Barbara Lee’s appointment of former Alameda County Superior Court Judge Evelio Grillo to the commission.
Administrative Oversight Implications
The repeated rejection of the Police Commission slate signals a potential governance crisis within Oakland’s charter-mandated oversight structure. This procedural stalemate between the independent selection panel and the City Council highlights ambiguity regarding the scope of the council’s confirmation powers versus the panel’s nomination autonomy. If the deadlock persists, the Police Commission may face operational challenges, potentially stalling critical policy work and delaying the implementation of accountability measures for the Oakland Police Department.
