OPD Executive Staff

James Beere

Assistant Chief of Police

jbeere@oaklandca.gov

Assistant Chief James Beere has been a dedicated member of the Oakland Police Department (OPD) since 1997, serving the Oakland community for more than 27 years. Originally from San Francisco, he has proudly called Oakland home for nearly three decades. Prior to joining OPD Assistant Chief Beere attended Holy Name Elementary and Sacred Heart Cathedral High School before joining the United States Marine Corps, where he served with distinction as a Command Sergeant Major and is a decorated combat veteran.

Throughout the Assistant Chief’s career with OPD he’s held critical roles including:

• Assistant Chief of Police
• Deputy Chief of Bureau of Field Operations 1
• Bureau of Field Operations Commander
• Criminal Investigations Division Commander (Homicide, Felony Assault, Special Victims Section)
• Sergeant of the Intelligence Unit in the Office of the Chief
• Sergeant, Special Resource Section, Crime Reduction Team 5
• Key roles in the Vice, Human Trafficking, Narcotics, and Patrol divisions

Assistant Chief Beere’s exemplary service has earned him some of the department’s highest honors, including the Blue Star Medal for outstanding command and control during a mass casualty incident and the Medal of Merit for superior tactics and de-escalation in a life-threatening situation. He has also been awarded the Chief’s Excellence in Leadership Award, Chief’s Commendation, and multiple Captain’s Commendations, Unit Citations, and Letters of Appreciation. His dedication was further recognized with the Officer of the Year Award from the San Francisco Bay Area Emerald Society.

Academically, Assistant Chief Beere graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management from Golden Gate University and also holds an Associate of Science Degree in Administration of Justice from the College of San Mateo. His professional training includes the Police Executive Research Forum’s Senior Management Institute for Police and the FBI LEEDA Command and Executive Leadership Institutes.

Assistant Chief Beere’s commitment to OPD and to Oakland’s safety has been the foundation of his distinguished career, marked by leadership, integrity, and service to the community.

Anthony Tedesco

Deputy Chief Bureau of Field Operations 1

atedesco@oaklandca.gov

Casey Johnson

Deputy Chief Bureau of Field Operations 2

csjohnson@oaklandca.gov

Deputy Chief Casey Johnson was appointed to his new role in May 2024. Deputy Chief Johnson has served the people of Oakland for more than two decades. In his current role, Deputy Chief Johnson oversees the Bureau of Field Operations 2 and OPD’s Special Operations Division.

Deputy Chief Johnson is a graduate of both the Federal Bureau of Investigation National Academy and the Senior Management Institute for Police (SMIP). He has had a diverse and extensive career at OPD, serving in various roles, including field training officer, Special Operations Tactical Team (SWAT) tactical team commander, undercover officer and instructor, driving instructor, dual-purpose motorcycle rider and instructor, sworn narcotics court expert within the Alameda County Superior Court system, patrol sergeant, Sergeant and Lieutenant of the Crime Reduction Team, training division commander, and internal affairs commander.

As Deputy Chief, he is entrusted with significant responsibilities. Under administrative direction, Deputy Chief Johnson says, “I strategically plan, organize, and direct operations through captains, lieutenants, supervisors, and civilians in three of our six major geographical areas. I am responsible for formulating and interpreting policies and procedures, ensuring adherence to laws and policies, developing goals and objectives, managing risk, supervising and training staff, creating and administering a bureau budget, representing the department in public forums, and directing the day-to-day activities of assigned staff.

Under the Special Operations Division, I plan, organize, oversee, and direct our special operations captains and lieutenants to use our tactical operations teams as a resource for handling appropriate critical incidents. While managing this division, I must recognize, plan, and understand that the use of specially trained and equipped police tactical operations teams during critical incidents has been shown to substantially reduce the risk of injury or loss of life to residents, law enforcement personnel, and suspects. I recognize that a well-managed division response usually results in the successful resolution of such incidents.”

In addition to his extensive professional experience, he has dedicated himself to academic pursuits. Deputy Chief Johnson holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Sonoma State University and a Master’s Degree in Public Safety from the University of Virginia. He furthered his education at the Federal Bureau of Investigation National Academy Session 287, completing five graduate courses to fulfill his elective requirements. He has a Master’s Degree in Public Safety from the University of Virginia.

A little something about Chief Johnson: He is the youngest of four siblings, all sisters, one of whom is his twin. He was on an ABC reality TV show where he and a co-worker won a prize. He was on the Jenny Jones talk show twice after graduating high school and entering his first year of college. He loves watching and playing sports. He played football and baseball growing up, and he was awarded a scholarship to play college football.

 

Lisa Ausmus

Deputy Chief Bureau of Risk Management

lausmus@oaklandca.gov

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kiona Suttle

Deputy Director Bureau of Services

KSuttle@oaklandca.gov

Deputy Director Kiona Suttle has been a member of the Oakland Police Department (OPD) for more than two decades. She previously served as the Human Resources Manager before accepting the appointment to Deputy Director.

Director Suttle began her career in the OPD with the hope of, “being the change that she wanted to see.” Her many roles in OPD have included serving as the Records Division Manager, the Executive Assistant to the Chief of Police, and a Police Records Specialist in the Internal Affairs Division and the Office of Inspector General. As the Records Division Manager, Director Suttle established the Public Records Request Unit, which created a central location for the many public requests for information received by the Department. This allowed for a more effective way of tracking and responding to requests for information. She also played an integral role in the elimination of manual data entry of arrest reports, improving the accuracy and reliability of this data.

Director Suttle grew up in Oakland and is a proud mother. She loves taking long walks, spending time with her family, traveling, and eating, as she is a self-proclaimed “foodie.” She has a B.S. in Criminal Justice with a minor in Sociology from the California State University East Bay and is passionate about helping and uplifting others, which is why she chose a career in public service. Director Suttle lives by the motto “If you want happiness for a lifetime, help somebody,” and she has spent the majority of her life and career trying to do just that.

Mario Fajardo

Chief of Staff

mfajardo@oaklandca.gov