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Police Commission Appoints New Executive Director of Community Police Review Agency

In the wake of a national search, the Oakland Police Commission has hired Mac Muir to become the new executive director of the Civilian Police Review Agency (CPRA), which is in charge of investigating police misconduct allegations and recommending discipline. “Muir’s appointment comes as the CPRA is slated to assume many responsibilities of the Oakland Police Department’s Internal Affairs Division, a landmark transition that sets a new national standard for independent civilian oversight,” according to a City of Oakland media release.

Published

10 months ago

June 21, 2023

Oakland Post

Muir formerly served as a supervising investigator at the New York City Civilian Complaint Review Board (CCRB), the nation’s largest civilian oversight agency. In his seven years at that agency, he oversaw many investigations, including fatal shootings, chokeholds, sexual misconduct, and false official statements in New York Police Department’s 77 precincts.

By Ken Epstein

“Muir’s appointment comes as the CPRA is slated to assume many responsibilities of the Oakland Police Department’s Internal Affairs Division, a landmark transition that sets a new national standard for independent civilian oversight,” according to a City of Oakland media release.

He supervised a team of investigators that handled more than 150 cases at a given time.

Raised in Oakland, Muir said he has a long-term commitment to the city.

“Oakland is and always has been the most important place in my life,” he said. “Growing up here shaped my commitment to challenging inequities in policing. As executive director of the CPRA, I’m committed to bolstering Oakland as a national leader in police oversight as we weigh serious challenges with real opportunity.”

In addition to working in police oversight, Muir has advised on public safety issues for presidential, congressional, and local political campaigns. Prior to working in New York, he worked for Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper, the architect of the City of Denver’s civilian oversight system.

Muir received mediation training from Columbia Law School and the New York Peace Institute and has conducted mediation trainings at the CCRB.

He earned a B.A. from Oberlin College, where he studied the history of the Oakland Police Department and the Negotiated Settlement Agreement.

“Independent civilian oversight is a vital component of city government,” he said. “I’m honored to serve the Oakland Police Commission’s mission to ensure constitutional policing and reflect the needs of this brilliant community.”

He assumes his new job on June 19, 2023.

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Oakland Post: Week of April 24 – 30, 2024

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of April 24 – 30, 2024

Published

22 hours ago

April 26, 2024

Oakland Post

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Oakland Post: Week of April 17 – 23, 2024

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of April 17 – 23, 2024

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1 week ago

April 19, 2024

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Oakland Schools Honor Fred Korematsu Day of Civil Liberties

Every Jan. 30, OUSD commemorates the legacy of Fred Korematsu, an Oakland native, a Castlemont High School graduate, and a national symbol of resistance, resilience, and justice. His defiant stand against racial injustice and his unwavering commitment to civil rights continue to inspire the local community and the nation. Tuesday was “Fred Korematsu Day of Civil Liberties and the Constitution” in the state of California and a growing number of states across the country.

Published

1 week ago

April 19, 2024

Oakland Post

Fred Korematsu. Courtesy of OUSD.

By Post Staff

Every Jan. 30, OUSD commemorates the legacy of Fred Korematsu, an Oakland native, a Castlemont High School graduate, and a national symbol of resistance, resilience, and justice.

His defiant stand against racial injustice and his unwavering commitment to civil rights continue to inspire the local community and the nation. Tuesday was “Fred Korematsu Day of Civil Liberties and the Constitution” in the state of California and a growing number of states across the country.
One OUSD school is named in his honor: Fred T. Korematsu Discovery Academy (KDA) elementary in East Oakland.

Several years ago, founding KDA Principal Charles Wilson, in a video interview with anti-hate organization “Not In Our Town,” said, “We chose the name Fred Korematsu because we really felt like the attributes that he showed in his work are things that the children need to learn … that common people can stand up and make differences in a large number of people’s lives.”

Fred Korematsu was born in Oakland on Jan. 30, 1919. His parents ran a floral nursery business, and his upbringing in Oakland shaped his worldview. His belief in the importance of standing up for your rights and the rights of others, regardless of race or background, was the foundation for his activism against racial prejudice and for the rights of Japanese Americans during World War II.

At the start of the war, Korematsu was turned away from enlisting in the National Guard and the Coast Guard because of his race. He trained as a welder, working at the docks in Oakland, but was fired after the bombing of Pearl Harbor in 1941. Fear and prejudice led to federal Executive Order 9066, which forced more than 120,000 Japanese Americans out of their homes and neighborhoods and into remote internment camps.

The 23-year-old Korematsu resisted the order. He underwent cosmetic surgery and assumed a false identity, choosing freedom over unjust imprisonment. His later arrest and conviction sparked a legal battle that would challenge the foundation of civil liberties in America.

Korematsu’s fight culminated in the Supreme Court’s initial ruling against him in 1944. He spent years in a Utah internment camp with his family, followed by time living in Salt Lake City where he was dogged by racism.

In 1976, President Gerald Ford overturned Executive Order 9066. Seven years later, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco vacated Korematsu’s conviction. He said in court, “I would like to see the government admit that they were wrong and do something about it so this will never happen again to any American citizen of any race, creed, or color.”

Korematsu’s dedication and determination established him as a national icon of civil rights and social justice. He advocated for justice with Rosa Parks. In 1998, President Bill Clinton gave him the Presidential Medal of Freedom saying, “In the long history of our country’s constant search for justice, some names of ordinary citizens stand for millions of souls … To that distinguished list, today we add the name of Fred Korematsu.”

After Sept. 11, 2001, Korematsu spoke out against hatred and discrimination, saying what happened to Japanese Americans should not happen to people of Middle Eastern descent.
Korematsu’s roots in Oakland and his education in OUSD are a source of great pride for the city, according to the school district. His most famous quote, which is on the Korematsu elementary school mural, is as relevant now as ever, “If you have the feeling that something is wrong, don’t be afraid to speak up.”