OPD’s second in command will step up to serve as Oakland’s top cop while the city conducts a search for a permanent police chief, Mayor Barbara Lee announced on Friday. 

James Beere will start the job after Dec. 5, which is Floyd Mitchell’s final day. Mitchell’s hire was announced in March 2024, after Oakland officials conducted a search that lasted roughly a year to replace the department’s previous chief, LeRonne Armstrong. 

“Interim Chief Beere has served the Oakland Police Department for over two decades,” Lee said at a press conference at City Hall on Friday. “He has the trust of the officers he’ll lead, the respect of community partners he’s worked alongside, and a demonstrated commitment to constitutional policing and the reforms that Oakland has fought for.” 

Lee’s announcement capped a fraught week for Oakland. On Wednesday, Skyline High School went on lockdown after a teenager was shot and wounded on campus. On Thursday, Laney College’s athletic director and former football coach, John Beam, was fatally shot in the school’s field house. National outlets have covered the shooting of Beam, whose work as a coach was featured in Netflix’s documentary series “Last Chance U.” OPD announced today that the department has arrested suspects in both shootings. 

Noting that this has been “an incredibly difficult week for our city,” Lee said Oakland must continue to work to get guns off the street. As interim chief, Beere will be charged with overseeing Oakland’s Ceasefire program, a collaboration among multiple departments to use both enforcement and incentives to address individuals who are at high-risk of gun violence, and which many city leaders credit with helping to reduce violent crime in 2024 and 2025. 

“I’m committed to make this transition as seamless as possible,” said Beere, who added he will continue the city’s emphasis on addressing violent crime and engaging in constitutional policing. Citing the high-profile shootings this week, both of which swiftly resulted in arrests, Beere warned that people who commit gun violence will be caught and held accountable by OPD and the Alameda County District Attorney. 

“It’s a new day in Oakland and Alameda County,” Beere said. 

A new role overseeing Constitutional Policing
Assistant City Administrator Michelle Phillips at a press conference at Oakland City Hall on Nov. 14, 2025. Credit: Eli Wolfe / The Oaklandside

Lee also announced that the city is creating a new city position, the Constitutional Policing Administrator, which will be held by Michelle Phillips.

Phillips, who previously served as Oakland’s inspector general for the police commission, recently returned to the city to work in a high-ranking administrative position. Lee offered few concrete details about Phillips’ new role, but the mayor said it will involve working closely with police leadership on oversight issues, policy development, internal audits, and the allocation of resources. 

Phillips thanked Lee for taking leadership in creating the new role, saying, “This step she has taken is a clear example of her clear commitment to the negotiated settlement agreement, building upon the work the city and the department have done over the years.”

The settlement agreement, which stems from a 2003 civil rights lawsuit over police abuse and evidence planting, requires OPD to complete 52 reform tasks. A federal judge reviews the department’s progress and will ultimately determine whether it can operate without supervision. 

Finding a permanent chief

Mitchell stunned residents in October when he suddenly announced that he had submitted his resignation letter to the city. There was rampant speculation about Mitchell’s reasons for leaving, including claims that he was frustrated with the oversight bodies that monitor OPD. Mitchell has not publicly shared why he’s leaving the department after just over a year on the job. 

The Oakland Police Commission, a volunteer board that oversees OPD, is charged with recruiting new candidates for the permanent job, interviewing finalists, and sending a shortlist of three to the mayor for final approval.

The Oakland City Council recently decided not to reappoint two commissioners, Ricardo Garcia-Acosta and Omar Farmer. Both men are allowed to serve past the expiration of their terms while a volunteer selection panel seeks applicants to fill their roles. The commission cancelled its upcoming bi-monthly meeting this Thursday due to lack of quorum. 

In a recent report filed with the federal judge overseeing OPD, the commission lambasted the city for its “failure to vociferously defend its designated independent police oversight governing body” and warned that this could have repercussions for Oakland’s efforts to achieve compliance with the negotiated settlement agreement. 

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