Title
a. Receive a report concerning the Sheriff's Office oversight options.
b. Provide direction to staff as appropriate.
Report
RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that the Board of Supervisors:
a. Receive a report concerning the Sheriff's Office oversight options.
b. Provide direction to staff as appropriate.
SUMMARY:
On September 30, 2020, Governor Newsom signed Assembly Bill (AB) 1185. The law added a new Section 25303.7 to the California Government Code. Among other things, Section 25303.7 vests Boards of Supervisors with discretion to provide for oversight of the county Sheriff by creating (a) an Oversight Board, (b) an Inspector General, or (c) both. AB 1185 took effect on January 1, 2021.
DISCUSSION:
There are very few counties within California that have implemented an oversight body pursuant to AB 1185. Thus, it is difficult to analyze their effectiveness at this juncture. Below is a description of the type of oversight models currently in use:
Inspector General
Orange County is using an inspector general model and has created the "Office of Independent Review". According to their website, the Office of Independent Review "monitors and reviews specific incidents, systemic issues, and assists in developing and assessing corrective actions that address high risk practices related to the Departments it oversees." Orange County's Office of Independent Review performs these tasks for five agencies: Sheriff, Probation, the District Attorney, the Public Defender, and Social Services. The Office of Independent Review is run by County employees and an Office of Independent Review Director was recently hired.
Santa Cruz County is using an inspector general model and staff received direction on January 11, 2022, to "develop a scope of work that meets the requirements of AB 1185 and issue a Request for Proposal or enter into contract with an independent police auditor."
Sacramento County also uses the Inspector General model whose "primary function ...
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