On the final day of her removal hearings last month, San Mateo County Sheriff Christina Corpus did something unexpected: She reversed her opposition to an independent inspector general that would look into misconduct within her office, which she acknowledged is filled with personnel who don’t respect her leadership.
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San Mateo County Sheriff adds to chorus of support for inspector general
PRESS STATEMENT FROM FIXIN’ SAN MATEO COUNTY
San Mateo County, CA — Today, San Mateo County Sheriff Christina Corpus testified, “I support having an inspector general over the Sheriff’s Office.”
On August 12, the Independent Civilian Advisory Commission on the Sheriff’s Office (ICAC) recommended to the Board of Supervisors that they establish a permanent inspector general with subpoena power. At the same meeting, Fixin’ SMC and the Coalition for a Safer San Mateo County submitted a statement asking for a permanent inspector general, signed by 26 community groups, faith-based organizations, and political clubs.
Fixin’ San Mateo County Board chair Jim Lawrence says, “We very much appreciate the support of Sheriff Corpus for an inspector general. We hope that the board of supervisors expeditiously votes to create this important function, which can serve as a safety net and proactively address problems before they reach a crisis point.” An inspector general can save taxpayer dollars by preventing problems and reducing lawsuit costs and payouts.
We urge the Board to approve the appointment of a permanent inspector general. The San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office needs to restore morale, rebuild public trust, and refocus on its essential mission: to protect and serve the residents of San Mateo County with honor, fairness, and integrity. An inspector general will provide an important forum to hear concerns from Sheriff’s Office staff as well as from the community.
Fixin’ San Mateo County remains committed to advocating for independent civilian oversight, including a permanent inspector general, for accountability, ethical leadership, and justice for all.
Media Contact:
Jim Lawrence
Fixin’ San Mateo County
408-590-0429, jtlawrence94404@yahoo.com
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.
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.
Sheriff Corpus removal hearings begin Monday in San Mateo County
Long-awaited hearings on whether to remove San Mateo County Sheriff Christina Corpus from office will begin Monday and run until Aug. 29, marking the first time corruption and misconduct allegations against the county’s first Latina sheriff will be tested in a public forum.
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.
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
Corpus says removal hearing should be public: ‘Let the public see the facts’
San Mateo County Sheriff Christina Corpus has agreed to make her upcoming removal hearing open to the public, reversing an earlier request for private proceedings after government transparency advocates threatened legal action.
How much is the sheriff’s corruption scandal costing taxpayers? County won’t say
The Daily Post has been seeking information on the cost of investigations into San Mateo County Sheriff Christina Corpus, but the county won’t release the numbers.