Sheriff’s Office Oversight Committee Proposed

Is it time to bring accountability and oversight to the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office? An online meeting next Wednesday is the first opportunity for two County Supervisors to find out.

County Supervisors Dave Brown (District 3) and Nate Miley (District 4) will be hosting the two-hour video chat where they will take public input about establishing either a Community Sheriff's Oversight Board and/or an Office of the Inspector General. Brown, who recently served as Wilma Chan’s Chief of Staff, was appointed to represent District 3 following Chan’s untimely death.

The idea of holding ACSO more accountable gained momentum following the murder of George Floyd in June 2020. County Supervisors established a task force at the time to address racial justice and police reform in the county. In September 2020, State Assembly members passed AB1185, a bill to allow counties to create these citizen-based boards. Governor Gavin Newsom signed the bill that same month. 

The issue continued further following the retirement of Scott Haggerty. David Haubert won and race to fill his District 1 seat. Community feedback during two candidate debates indicated the public was strongly interested in holding the Sheriff’s Department to account.

Sheriff Greg Ahern and ACSO have come under scrutiny over the last few years following the deaths of prisoners at the Santa Rita Jail and several allegations of misconduct by deputies.

For six months, the task force interviewed more than 300 individuals throughout Alameda County. The diverse group included youth and faith-based organizations as well as mayors, city managers, and law enforcement leaders. 

Those interviewed were asked what they believe is necessary to the process of achieving racial justice and police reform in the County. The interviews resulted in three focus areas: Community Reinvestment Strategies, Sheriff’s Office Accountability, and Surface and Address Systemic Racism.

Visit https://tinyurl.com/ACOversightDec15 before December 13 to register.