The Coalition for a Safer San Mateo County

The Coalition is made up of more than 30 local community organizations that support strong, independent civilian oversight of the Sheriff’s Office. Faith groups, political and justice organizations, and civil rights advocates are represented. Fixin’ San Mateo County is a member of this coalition.

The Coalition meets the second Tuesday of every month by Zoom. If your organization would like to join the Coalition, or for more information, please email info@fixinsmc.org.

Coalition Members

On August 12, 2025, the Coalition submitted the following letter to the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors:

Coalition for a Safer San Mateo County (CSSMC) Statement on Sheriff Accountability

The Coalition for a Safer San Mateo County (CSSMC) urges the Board of Supervisors to support the following priorities for a sheriff. We also support the Independent Civilian Advisory Commission on the Sheriff’s Office (ICAC)’s call for a permanent Inspector General with subpoena power and for community engagement if the Board chooses to appoint an interim Sheriff.

Public safety is for everybody. The Sheriff’s Office cannot provide safety without trust in law enforcement and accountability to the community. Therefore, the Coalition believes any sheriff should commit to the following:

  • A respectful work environment and good community relations. 
  • Accountability to the people of San Mateo County, not to the federal government.  
  • Honoring the county’s existing commitment to keeping families together; do not cooperate with ICE unless required to by law, regulation, court decision, or judicial warrant.
  • Genuine willingness to collaborate with ICAC and the Inspector General (IG) when one is appointed, as a positive element of their relationship with the people of San Mateo County.
    • Develop information sharing agreements with ICAC and the IG.
    • Cooperate on fiscal checks and balances.
    • Commit to joint problem solving. 
  • Eliminating unnecessary use of force.
  • Eliminate the use of TASERs.
  • Expand and support de-escalation training and strategies.
  • Support unarmed crisis response and its integration into the 911 system.
  • Do not use force against peaceful civilian protesters. 
  • Improving jail conditions.
    • Prevent deaths in the jail.
    • Work with the county to eliminate use of jail as a mental hospital and substance abuse treatment facility.
    • Help the county identify secure diversion options in the community for people in crisis.
    • Restore physical mail to incarcerated people.
    • Provide meaningful access to religious services in the jail.
    • Promote voter registration, education, and voting in the jail. 

Signed by:

  • ACLU of Northern California
  • ACLU San Mateo County Chapter
  • Belmont Neighbors Against Racism
  • Center for Common Ground Peninsula-South Bay Chapter
  • Faith in Action Bay Area
  • Fixin’ San Mateo County
  • In Our Care San Mateo County
  • La Honda Indivisible
  • NAACP San Mateo County
  • Peninsula Democratic Coalition
  • Peninsula Solidarity Cohort
  • Puente de la Costa Sur
  • Raging Grannies of the Peninsula
  • Redwood City for Racial Equity
  • SF Peninsula People Power
  • SMC AAPI Alliance
  • San Mateo County Democratic Party
  • SMC Dems Farmworker Affairs Committee
  • San Mateo County Coalition for Immigrant Rights
  • San Mateo County Democracy for America
  • San Mateo County Stonewall Democrats
  • Sisters of Mercy Solidarity Committee
  • Unlocked Futures
  • UU Church of Palo Alto Action Council
  • UU Fellowship of Redwood City Social Action Committee
  • Woodside Road United Methodist Church