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.

Fixin’ San Mateo County (FxSMC) Releases Draft Ordinance for Civilian Oversight of the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office

Draft Ordinance Sent to the Board of Supervisors

Thursday May 12, 2022, San Mateo County: Jim Lawrence, Board Chair of Fixin’ San Mateo County, distributed a draft ordinance to the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors for a Civilian Oversight Board and Inspector General for the Sheriff’s Office. Fixin’ SMC asks the County Supervisors to review, approve, and adopt the ordinance, as permitted by AB 1185, the bill passed by the state legislature in 2020 which gives the Supervisors the legislative authority to set up such oversight with subpoena power.

As Congresswoman Anna Eshoo said, “Residents deserve an effective and responsive Sheriff’s Office that treats everyone equally and prides itself in service so much that it welcomes civilian oversight.”

On May 17 at 8:30 am, members of the community will rally, hold a press conference, and speak at the Board of Supervisors meeting during public comments, to remind the Board that public oversight should include the Sheriff, who holds one of the most powerful elected offices as the county’s highest ranking law enforcement officer. Oversight is vital to the safety of San Mateo County communities because law enforcement has the authority to detain, search, arrest, and use deadly force.

As Lawrence noted, “The time is overdue to implement checks and balances for the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office. The Office costs taxpayers approximately $300 million dollars annually, but lacks transparency, accountability, or any public reporting on how effectively and efficiently those funds are used, or on how the Sheriff’s Office personnel are held to professional standards of conduct.”

“Fiscal responsibility and transparency are important to the County… including independent citizen oversight.” (Drought, Wildfire and Sea Level Rise are the New Normal mailing from 400 County Center, April 2022)
Independent civilian oversight for the Sheriff’s Office has been endorsed by dozens of government, civic, faith, and community leaders countywide. For more information, please visit www.fixinsmc.org.

The case for independent sheriff oversight

By the reverends Penny Nixon, Marlyn Bussey and Tovis Page

Oversight of the Sheriff’s Office through a community board shows a commitment to lifting up the leadership of those most affected by systemic racism and building unity across divisions. Creating oversight is an opportunity to dismantle unjust criminalization systems that target people of color and exploit poor communities to transform those systems into ones that value all humanity. Empowering people to participate in and engage with local systems and structures in our community can lead to meaningful and long-lasting change.

Read the full story at San Mateo Daily Journal

Watching the Watchmen

Too many Americans today live in fear that they may suffer abuse or excessive force at the hands of police officers who are sworn to protect them.

To keep Americans safer, the federal government and state and local governments need to match continued investments in policing with reforms that make law enforcement agencies as a whole — as well as individual officers — more accountable to the communities that they serve.

Cities need to establish clear and consistent procedures for the independent review of the use of force by law enforcement officers.

Read the full story at The New York Times Editorial Board

New police stops data shows stark racial disparities in these wealthy Bay Area enclaves

The data, released this week by the state attorney general, reveals that Black drivers and pedestrians are far more likely to be stopped and searched than white people in nearly every part of the state, despite being less likely to be found carrying contraband, such as illegal guns or drugs, when stopped.

Some of the Bay Area’s wealthiest mid-size communities had the starkest racial disparities. In Los Altos and Belmont, two Silicon Valley suburbs, Black people were nine and 10 times as likely to be stopped by police, respectively, than white residents in 2021, relative to their share of the population.

Read the full story at San Francisco Chronicle

Rep. Jackie Speier champions civilian oversight at local group’s meeting

Speier addressed the members of Fixin’ San Mateo County, a grassroots organization working to establish civilian oversight of the sheriff’s office and an inspector general with subpoena power, as a special guest at their monthly membership meeting Tuesday night. Speier, who endorsed the movement earlier this year, talked about the value of civilian oversight in democracy, answering questions from the public and sharing her own experiences serving on oversight committees. Fifty-three people attended the virtual event.

Read the full story at RWC Pulse