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Oakland Police Chief James Beere to be officially sworn in
City leaders and community members will gather at Oakland City Hall on Wednesday to officially swear in James Beere as Oakland's permanent police chief.
OAKLAND, Calif. - City leaders and community members will gather at Oakland City Hall on Wednesday to officially swear in James Beere as Oakland's permanent police chief.
Swearing-in ceremony
What we know:
The ceremony, which begins at 11:30 a.m., comes three weeks after Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee announced the city was promoting Beere to the permanent role.
Beere had been serving as interim chief since Dec. 6.
Beere joined the Oakland Police Department in 1997 and has served with the agency for nearly 30 years.
During his tenure, he has lived in Oakland, raised his family in the city, and earned several internal department merit and leadership awards. He holds a degree from Golden Gate University and is a graduate of the FBI Academy.
Timeline: History of Oakland police chiefs
Oakland has had many police chiefs over the years, in part to scandals, and in part, due to the department's cumbersome bureaucracy, including federal oversight and a powerful, civilian-led police commission.
Lee and other city leaders cited Beere's deep familiarity with both the city and the police department as a key factor in his selection. That perspective is shared by the Oakland Police Officers Association.
Huy Nguyen, president of the officers union, noted that Beere previously served as a sergeant in the Marine Corps and has built strong trust among rank-and-file officers. Nguyen said members are very supportive of Beere leading the 612-officer agency.
Riders scandal, oversight
The backstory:
Leadership stability has been a challenge for the agency, which has had 12 police chiefs since 2013.
A central issue for previous chiefs has been the department's ongoing federal oversight, which stems from the "Riders" scandal two decades ago and requires OPD to maintain a specific set of court-ordered reforms.
Beere told KTVU earlier this month that he not only understands the federal oversight process, but has embraced it throughout his career at OPD.
City leaders expressed confidence that his background equips him to navigate the remaining requirements and guide the department toward independence.
The department could finally exit federal oversight following a court hearing with a federal judge scheduled for this fall.
The Source: City of Oakland, OPD Chief James Beere