County governments in California can establish agencies to oversee their sheriff’s offices and obtain their records under a ruling affirmed Wednesday by the state Supreme Court.
General news
Monterey Co.: Office Of Inspector General Will Provide Independent Oversight Of Sheriff’s Office
The Monterey County Sheriff’s Office is one step closer to having independent oversight after the county Board of Supervisors approved the creation of an inspector general position.
John Alden Selected as Marin County’s First Inspector General
John Alden has been selected as Marin County’s first Inspector General, a newly established role that will provide independent oversight of the Marin County Sheriff’s Office in collaboration with the Civilian Oversight Commission.
Humboldt Supervisors Advance Proposal to Increase Civilian Oversight Over HCSO, Despite Pushback From Sheriff Honsal
The board voted 4-1, with First District Supervisor Rex Bohn dissenting, to form an ad hoc committee that will work with staff to research and develop an ordinance that would create a civilian-led oversight system that would operate independently, but report to the Board of Supervisors.
Court Orders California Sheriff to Release Personnel Records in Watchdog Investigation
The Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office must comply with subpoenas issued by the county’s civilian oversight board as part of a whistleblower investigation into alleged misconduct, a state appeals court ruled Thursday.
County sheriffs wield lethal power, face little accountability: “A failure of democracy”
County sheriff’s officers are three times more lethal than city police, a CBS News investigation has found… CBS News gathered and analyzed federal law enforcement data that showed while more people died overall in encounters with city police, deaths in encounters with county sheriffs occurred at a significantly higher rate. For every 100,000 people arrested, more than…
ACLU Demands Accountability from California Sheriffs
Sheriffs in California wield enormous power. They’re in charge of law enforcement in counties and in unincorporated areas. They run the jailsand oversee emergency services. The magnitude of the sheriff’s role and power creates conditions that can lead to a lack of accountability, endangering public safety and civil liberties.
Why Every County Needs Civilian Oversight of its Local Sheriff’s Department
Sheriffs hold massive power in California counties over jails, law enforcement, emergency services, court-ordered evictions, and more. They are elected officials who must be accountable to the public that they serve.
Sheriff’s oversight is coming to Alameda County
The Alameda County Board of Supervisors took a step that many police accountability advocates have for years clamored for: civilian oversight of the sheriff’s department. The Board voted to create a seven-member Oversight Board and an Office of the Inspector General on Tuesday that was recommended in a report authored by former Alameda County Chief…
San Jose poised to settle lawsuit over 2020 protests
Michael Acosta, who lost his eye after being shot with a hard projectile by San Jose police during protests following the 2020 killing of George Floyd, is set to receive millions in a city settlement. The $3 million payout is part of a $3.35 million total settlement the city is weighing for Acosta and a…