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 Probation Officer Wendy Still.
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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.
Media Advisory: Press Conference and Rally for Oversight, September 12
WHAT
The Coalition for a Safer San Mateo County is holding a press conference and rally to support independent civilian oversight of the Sheriff’s Office. The rally will be headlined by Redwood City Vice Mayor Lissette Espinoza-Garnica, South San Francisco City Councilmember James Coleman, and Fixin’ San Mateo County Board Chair Jim Lawrence, together with a prayer led by the Reverend Penny Nixon of the Peninsula Solidarity Cohort. The Raging Grannies Action League will perform and lead the group in chants and music.
WHO
The Coalition for a Safer San Mateo County is composed of 33 San Mateo County organizations with an estimated combined membership of 5,000, which are advocating for an independent civilian oversight board and an Inspector General.
WHEN
The events will be held at 8:30 am on September 12th
WHERE
Hall of Justice Plaza, 400 County Center, Redwood City
WHY
Lígia Andráde Zúñiga, President of the LatinX Democratic Club of San Mateo County, said, “In order for our communities across San Mateo County to be safe, we need accountability and transparency that only comes with oversight. Our county must provide the same protection and policing for all its residents.”
Organized by Fixin’ San Mateo County, the push for oversight comes after many incidents of police brutality and over-policing disproportionately impact communities of color. More specifically, Chinedu Okobi, a 36-year-old Black resident of San Mateo, was killed by police after they attempted to stop him while jaywalking. Assembly Bill 1185 authorizes a county to establish a sheriff oversight board, either by action of the board of supervisors or through a vote of county residents.
The Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to create a subcommittee to research oversight models, and in November, voted to move ahead with the creation of an ordinance that would incorporate both the civilian board and Inspector General that Fixin’ SMC had recommended.
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 group of people who also sued the city over violent police tactics and weapons used at the local protests.
Fixin’ San Mateo County receives grant from Grove Action Fund
Fixin’ San Mateo County says that the grant funding will help it with both its operating costs and community outreach efforts. “We are grateful for the Grove Action Fund’s commitment to independent oversight of the Sheriff’s Office,” said FxSMC Board Chair Jim Lawrence.
Grove Action Fund Awards Grant to Fixin’ San Mateo County
Fixin’ San Mateo County (FxSMC) is happy to announce the receipt of a grant from the Grove Action Fund to help with operating expenses and community outreach. The Grove Action Fund, affiliated with the Grove Foundation, is a 501(c)(4) social welfare organization that provides financial support for organizations involved in advocacy work, consistent with the mission of the Grove Foundation. FxSMC Board Chair Jim Lawrence says, “We are grateful for the Grove Action Fund’s commitment to independent oversight of the Sheriff’s Office.”
The grant from the Grove Action Fund capped a great week. The highlight was the Fixin’ SMC summer celebration at the Half Moon Bay Brewery, attended by more than 60 people. The associated auction raised more than $2,500. The celebration was co-sponsored by Abundant Grace, Puente de la Costa Sur, Coastside Families Taking Action, La Honda Indivisible, and The San Mateo County Democratic Party Farmworker Affairs Committee, along with Half Moon Bay Mayor Deborah Penrose, Vice Mayor Joaquin Jimenez, and Councilmembers Debbie Ruddock, Harvey Rarback, and Robert Brownstone.
FxSMC is endorsed by 50 local elected officials, five city councils of East Palo Alto, Half Moon Bay, Portola Valley, Redwood City, and San Mateo, and the North Fair Oaks Community Council, which together represent ⅓ of the county population, as well as by a coalition of 28 community organizations. In September 2022, the Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to create a subcommittee to research oversight models, and in November voted to move ahead with an ordinance that would incorporate both the civilian board and Inspector General that Fixin’ SMC had recommended. The County shares Fixin’s expectation to have an ordinance in place by year’s end, to be operational in 2024.
Oversight board investigating after Dallas PD officers laugh at vet forced to soil himself
A police oversight committee in Dallas is investigating four police officers after video shows them laughing at a disabled veteran that urinated on himself. The committee watched police body cam footage on August 8 that took place after two off-duty police officers at a Dallas restaurant denied him use of the bathrooms.
California counties team up to push for sheriff’s oversight
The newly formed “California Coalition for Sheriff’s Oversight” brings together counties actively working on or already have oversight systems, including Alameda, Marin, Monterey, San Mateo and Santa Cruz. A notable voice in this movement is Fixin’ San Mateo County (FxSMC), a local entity advocating for civilian oversight to introduce a balanced approach to county law enforcement.
New! California Coalition for Sheriff Oversight
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.
ACLU of Northern California Endorses Sheriff Oversight in San Mateo County
Fixin’ San Mateo County (FxSMC) is pleased to announce that the ACLU of Northern California (ACLU-NorCal) has endorsed FxSMC, and is partnering with them to support efforts to establish independent civilian oversight of the Sheriff’s Office.
Fixin’ SMC endorsed by ACLU-Norcal
The effort to launch an independent oversight group of the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office has received a new supporter. The American Civil Liberties Union of Northern California has endorsed the effort by Fixin’ San Mateo County to establish such a group.