Barbara Lee

Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee swore in James Beere as the city's new police chief during a ceremony at City Hall. The event marked Beere's official appointment to the role.

Oakland Interim Chief James Beere has been appointed as the City of Oakland's permanent Chief of Police. Mayor Barbara Lee announced the decision, citing a comprehensive recruitment process led by the Police Commission and retired Chief Daniel Hahn.

Business leaders, including a developer's political group and Barbara Lee, are discussing the creation of a development corporation to invest in downtown beautification projects, parks, and businesses.

Barbara Lee broke a tie to push a ‘strong-mayor’ measure onto the ballot. Voters will decide in November whether to overhaul Oakland’s government structure.

Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee announced her reelection campaign. She emphasized unity among labor, business, and community leaders in the city.

The Oakland Police Commission has submitted a list of finalists for the next police chief to Mayor Barbara Lee but will not release the names or hold a community forum. The commission cited the need for a more traditional selection process.

Oakland city officials have increased police presence at the First Friday event in response to recent violent incidents. Mayor Barbara Lee announced a new coordinated safety initiative for the event.

Oakland officials introduced a multi-agency security plan involving police, highway patrol, and sheriff's departments to address late-night violence during the First Fridays festival. The initiative includes increased staffing, drone monitoring, and collaboration with the Department of Violence Prevention to tackle traffic violations and unauthorized youth gatherings. Business leaders, including Fox Theater manager Tony Leong, had urged the measures, while festival director Venessa McGhee expressed concerns about the event's future due to prior incidents.