Oakland City Council approves James Beere’s three-year police chief contract

Oakland’s City Council approved an employment agreement for James Beere on July 21, formalizing his transition from interim chief to permanent chief of the Oakland Police Department effective Aug. 1, 2026.

The council action authorizes the city administrator to execute the agreement. The contract sets a three-year term running from Aug. 1, 2026, through 11:59 p.m. on July 31, 2029.

Contract sets total annual compensation at $411,294.96

The agreement sets Beere’s total annual compensation at $411,294.96. That figure includes an annual salary of $358,839.96, annual premium pay totaling $51,255 and a $1,200 uniform allowance.

The contract separately provides either a city vehicle or a $750 monthly auto allowance. The city administrator’s agenda report says funding is available within the approved Oakland Police Department budget for the chief’s position.

The premium-pay components listed in the agreement include payments tied to a bachelor’s degree, POST certification, advanced POST certification and longevity. The total compensation figure should not be described as base salary alone.

Mayor receives discretionary renewal option

After the initial three-year term, the mayor may renew the agreement for one additional two-year term without further City Council approval. The option is discretionary, not an automatic extension, and the agreement requires written notice of the mayor’s intent by March 31, 2029.

Chief remains an at-will employee

The agreement states that the police chief position is at-will and is not a civil service classification. Beere may be removed at any time with or without cause under the contract’s termination provisions, and the mayor may place him on paid administrative leave during the term.

If the mayor terminates Beere without cause, the city must provide 12 months of annual total compensation at his then-current rate, less required withholdings and deductions. During the final 11 months of the contract term, severance cannot exceed the number of months remaining in the agreement.

Severance is conditioned on Beere signing and returning a general release and waiver of claims within 21 days after the effective date of termination. The agreement also limits severance payments to the statutory limits in California Government Code Section 53260 and related provisions.

If the mayor or Police Commission terminates Beere for cause, the agreement provides only accrued unpaid compensation, benefits and leave, when applicable under city policy and the Oakland Police Management Association memorandum of understanding.

Reform, crime reduction and staffing remain priorities

The agreement directs the chief to continue the department’s work on constitutional-policing reforms and compliance with Oakland’s federal oversight requirements. It also identifies violent-crime reduction through data-informed and community-oriented policing, stronger relationships with Oakland communities, organizational accountability and operational effectiveness as continuing priorities.

Recruitment, retention and development of sworn and professional staff are also included in the city’s stated expectations for the chief. Those provisions describe duties and priorities; they do not establish that the department has already achieved those results.

The agreement says Oakland’s Police Department had been found by the federal monitor to have achieved compliance with all 51 tasks in the Negotiated Settlement Agreement, with a Case Management Conference scheduled for Sept. 29, 2026. The contract places continued reform and oversight work among the chief’s responsibilities as the city moves toward institutionalizing those changes.

Beere moves from interim leadership to permanent post

Beere has served with the Oakland Police Department since 1997 and became interim chief in December 2025. Before taking the permanent post, he held leadership positions including assistant chief, deputy chief of the Bureau of Field Operations and commander of the Criminal Investigations Division.

The San Francisco Chronicle reported that Beere’s appointment follows years of turnover in Oakland police leadership. The newspaper also reported continuing recruitment and retention challenges, even as the department works toward completing its federal oversight process.

For Oakland residents, the next measures of the agreement will be practical: whether the department sustains reform compliance, improves staffing, maintains accountability and delivers on its stated public-safety and community-engagement priorities.

Sources

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