The Alameda County Sheriff’s Office has the highest proportion of inmate deaths and lawsuits in the region. The US Department of Justice has found a failure to provide mental health services. The Sheriff has run the jail without transparency and permitted the abuse of detainees. The lack of oversight has cost lives and tax money.
As provided by the 2020 passage of AB 1185, we ask the Alameda County Board of Supervisors to create strong, effective, independent oversight of the Sheriff’s Department:
An Inspector General and Oversight Board with:
- subpoena power and full access to relevant information
- extensive community engagement
- full-time, professional investigators
- independent legal counsel
- adequate funding and staff
The Inspector General and Oversight Board will:
- monitor all county jail and law enforcement operations;
- conduct independent investigations of complaints, disciplinary actions, and in-custody deaths;
- ensure Sheriff’s full compliance with state and county regulation of ICE;
- hold regular public meetings and periodic town halls on issues of community concern;
- publish reports and recommend improvements in department practices and policies.
The Board of Supervisors will appoint community members to a Selection Panel who will choose diverse Alameda County residents from an open application process to serve as the members of the Oversight Board. No past or present law enforcement personnel can serve.
These core principles for effective implementation of AB1185 are supported by Faith In Action East Bay, Coalition for Police Accountability, SEIU Local 1021, ACLU NorCal, Bend The Arc, Block By Block Organizing Network, Wellstone Democratic Club, Interfaith Coalition for Justice in our Jails, Just Faith East Bay, Latino Task Force, among many others. The complete advocacy document: bit.ly/SheriffOversightAC