Fixin’ San Mateo County (FxSMC) is pleased to announce that FxSMC, together with representatives from four other California counties, have launched the California Coalition for Sheriff Overnight (CCSO). CCSO meets monthly with community members from Alameda, Marin, Monterey, San Mateo, and Santa Cruz counties, all of which are actively working to set up, or already have, oversight of the respective counties’ Sheriff’s Offices. Sacramento and Orange counties, which also already have oversight, are active as well. It is a great opportunity to share our learning and best practices in community outreach, engagement of public officials, and more. CCSO appreciates the support of the ACLU-Northern California in this effort.
FxSMC Board Chair Jim Lawrence stated, “We are excited to be part of a cross-county learning community to help ensure effective models of oversight.”
FxSMC incorporated as a 501(c)4 nonprofit in November 2021 and launched a public advocacy campaign in March 2022. Fixin’ SMC, endorsed by 50 elected officials, five city councils, and more than 25 community organizations, asked the Board of Supervisors to create a civilian oversight board and Inspector General’s office. In September 2022, the Board voted unanimously to create a subcommittee to begin this work by researching oversight models. That November, they voted unanimously again to move ahead with an ordinance that would incorporate both the civilian board and Inspector General that Fixin’ SMC had urged them to include. The County shares Fixin’s expectation to have an ordinance in place by year’s end, to be operationalized in 2024.