In the news

This page contains news article for those interested in all facets of law enforcement oversight and reform. These articles span all states and cover police departments as well as Sheriff's departments. We're providing this information for those who wish to better understand why oversight is needed, the challenges it faces, and where and how it has improved the communities that have adopted it. News articles from external sources will open in a new tab.

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

Let compassion shine: Restore religious freedom in San Mateo County jails

An opinion piece by The Rev. Lauren P. McCombs

The United States was founded on the principle of religious freedom for everyone. Alarmingly, the San Mateo County jail system has made it difficult for incarcerated individuals to practice their faith… Over the past several years, religious access — once a lifeline of hope and healing for those behind bars — has been reduced from what it was before the COVID-19 pandemic. Our jail system is now restricting religious services.

Read the full story at The San Mateo Daily Journal

Corpus removal hearing begins

On the first day of the hearing, attorneys for each side made opening statements laying out their arguments. The prosecution said they will call witnesses to prove that the sheriff retaliated against subordinates, neglected her duties, had conflicts of interest and violated the police officer bill of rights, a state code protecting law enforcement personnel.

Read the full story at Coastside News

Inspector general recommended for the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office

As the county navigates the ongoing scandal surrounding the Sheriff’s Office, an advisory committee formally recommended supervisors hire an independent inspector general to establish ongoing oversight of the law enforcement agency.

The Independent Civilian Advisory Commission on the Sheriff’s Office — established in 2023 — made the case to the Board of Supervisors for a permanent inspector general with subpoena power to identify misconduct and risks within the Sheriff’s Office before it gets out of hand.

Read the full story at The San Mateo Daily Journal

Incarcerated people deserve family visitation

PRESS STATEMENT FROM FIXIN’ SAN MATEO COUNTY

San Mateo County, CA — For months, elevator issues at Maguire Jail have blocked in-person family visits, denying incarcerated individuals vital human connection — an unconscionable failure.

Today Fixin’ received a complaint from a mother whose son is incarcerated, stating, “[Elevators] have been out of order since the middle of June, and it’s going on close to two months now.  I have tried video visit with my son, but that is a pathetic system when you only see his face in a little square the size of a postage stamp. It also glitches out if either one of us move our faces even an inch.”

In-person visitation is a critical component of successful rehabilitation. It fosters hope, strengthens family bonds, and is proven to reduce recidivism — outcomes that benefit not just incarcerated individuals, but public safety as a whole.

This is unacceptable and we urge the Sheriff to find a way to immediately allow these visits to resume while the elevator repairs are underway. There are other elevators and there are stairs, and the Sheriff’s Office must find a way to allow families to visit while maintaining security. Fixin’ Board Chair Jim Lawrence says, “It appears from the outside as though the Sheriff’s Office doesn’t care enough to find a workaround.”

Media Contact
Jim Lawrence
Fixin’ San Mateo County
408-590-0429
jtlawrence94404@yahoo.com

Sheriff Corpus removal hearing scheduled for August; public access still in question

San Mateo County Sheriff Christina Corpus will face a formal removal hearing Aug. 18-29 after the Board of Supervisors voted to remove her from office last month, county officials confirmed on Friday.

Corpus requested the hearing be closed, according to county spokesperson Effie Milionis Verducci. However, the “county is evaluating the request; it has not been determined yet whether the hearing will be open or closed,” Verducci told this news organization. She did not provide a timeline for when a decision would be made.

Jim Lawrence, a former Foster City mayor and a member of civilian oversight group Fixin’ San Mateo County, said the possible closed-door nature of the hearing raises transparency concerns.

Read the full story at The San Jose Mercury News

Accusations Against Sheriff Corpus Underscores Urgent Need for Real Oversight

San Mateo County, CA — The recent accusation against Sheriff Christina Corpus by the San Mateo County Civil Grand Jury is not just a singular crisis — it is a symptom of a much deeper problem: the continued failure of our county leadership to implement meaningful, independent civilian oversight of the Sheriff’s Office.

For three years, Fixin’ San Mateo County has urged the Board of Supervisors to establish a Civilian Oversight Commission and appoint an independent Inspector General. The tools have been available since 2020, when the California Legislature passed AB 1185 to empower counties with the authority to oversee their sheriffs. But instead of embracing this opportunity to strengthen public trust and accountability, the Board chose inaction.

While the creation of the Independent Civilian Advisory Committee (ICAC) was a step in the right direction, it was ultimately powerless — lacking the authority, resources, or mandate to investigate misconduct or issue findings. Now, reports allege that Sheriff Corpus interfered in internal investigations involving deputy misconduct, leaving the department in turmoil and public trust badly shaken.

“This is not about one person — it’s about an entire system that has resisted transparency for too long,” said Jim Lawrence, Board Chair of Fixin’ San Mateo County. “We need to act now to rebuild trust and ensure no future sheriff, regardless of who they are, can operate without independent accountability. Oversight protects the public and supports the good officers who serve with integrity every day.”

Fixin’ San Mateo County is calling on the Board of Supervisors to:

  • Immediately strengthen the ICAC by granting it full investigatory powers, a clear mandate, and the resources to operate effectively.
  • Appoint an independent Inspector General with subpoena authority who reports to the public through a truly independent structure — not to the Sheriff.
  • Establish a transparent reform timeline with regular public updates and opportunities for community input.

Counties like Los Angeles and Sonoma have implemented strong oversight models that work — models that improve morale, reward integrity, and build trust between departments and the communities they serve. San Mateo County can do the same.

Media Contact
Jim Lawrence
Fixin’ San Mateo County
408-590-0429
jtlawrence94404@yahoo.com
www.fixinsmc.org