Overview
- Interim Chief James Beere, three months into the job, said he has applied to be Oakland’s permanent police chief after years of leadership turnover.
- He reports homicides are down about 36% and shootings more than 20% since 2024, crediting the Ceasefire Strategy with help from neighborhood groups and joint work with the DEA, FBI, and nearby police agencies.
- OPD lists 614 sworn officers for 700 authorized positions with about 500 ready for street duty, and Beere has brought back 15 from leave while recruiting former officers to return.
- He is expanding tools that speed response, including a real-time operations center, a renewed ShotSpotter gunshot detection contract, a single data platform, and a proposed drone first-responder program.
- He says talks with the federal monitor that has overseen OPD since 2003 are encouraging, with all but one task in compliance and another in partial compliance.