The civic record
Read. Follow. Verify.Oakland Police Behavioral Science Contract with Michael Palmertree
Record date · June 3, 2025
Track this bill to get notified when it advances a stage. One tap to stop, anytime.
What This Bill Does
The Oakland City Council has approved a $687,500 contract with marriage and family therapist Michael Palmertree to provide behavioral science consulting and training to the Oakland Police Department. The agreement spans five years, from July 2025 through June 2030, and was approved via a waiver of standard competitive bidding requirements.
This resolution authorizes the expenditure of $687,500 in city funds for specialized police training services over a five-year period while bypassing the standard competitive bidding and local business enterprise requirements.
Who It Affects
Groups the bill's text affects, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
Michael Palmertree
He is the service provider entering into a five-year contract with the city.
Oakland Police Department
The department will receive behavioral science consultation and training services under this agreement.
Oakland taxpayers
City funds totaling $687,500 are allocated for this contract.
Key Facts
- The contract amount is capped at $687,500.
- The contract term runs from July 1, 2025, to June 30, 2030.
- Services provided include behavioral science consultation and training for the Oakland Police Department.
- The city waived the competitive Request for Proposal/Qualifications (RFP/Q) process.
Show all 7 facts
- The city waived Local/Small Local Business Enterprise program requirements for this contract.
- The resolution was introduced on April 23, 2025.
- The resolution was passed during a concurrent meeting of the Oakland Redevelopment Successor Agency and the City Council.
Frequently Asked Questions
What services will Michael Palmertree provide to the police?
Why was the competitive bidding process skipped?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
Follow the record
Votes, people, money & the original sourceFull breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Bidding Waiver
The city explicitly bypassed both competitive bidding and local business preference requirements for this specific contract.
Sources
webapi.legistar.com
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance45How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy30Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment10Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz20Current news / social attention level
Publisher tools