Politics & Government
Contra Costa Supervisors To Discuss Oversight Of Sheriff's Office
Assembly Bill 1185, which became law Jan. 1, 2021, authorizes the county to establish a sheriff oversight board and/or an inspector general.
CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CA — The Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday will discuss oversight of the county sheriff's office and a recommendation from the county's public protection committee to create a regular reporting structure to the board from the sheriff's office.
Assembly Bill 1185, which became law Jan. 1, 2021, authorizes the county to establish a sheriff oversight board and/or an inspector general to assist in its oversight duty. Doing either requires action on the board's part or a public vote.
The law also authorizes an oversight board and/or an inspector general to issue a subpoena when deemed necessary to investigate a matter within that jurisdiction. It also says exercising that power can't obstruct the sheriff's office's ability to conduct investigations.
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The staff report for Tuesday's meeting says four out of nine Bay Area counties have established an inspector general or a sheriff oversight board, with two other counties in the process of doing so.
The county administrator's office and the sheriff's office have developed the framework for a quarterly oversight report to present to the board, updating it on sheriff's office activities and allowing the board to ask questions about operational issues. The report would cover custody services, field operations, support services, and administration.
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Custody services include total number of bookings, number of participants in custody alternatives, in-custody deaths, and medical data overseen by the county health department.
The department would also report on coroner cases, internal affairs investigations, use of force events, assaults on staff, interactions with immigration officials, racial data, evictions, and other significant events.
The Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors meets at 9 a.m. Tuesday at the board chamber at the county administration building, at 1025 Escobar Street in Martinez. The meeting can be viewed at www.contracosta.ca.gov or at https://cccounty-us.zoom.us/j/87344719204.
By Tony Hicks, Bay City News Foundation/Copyright © 2022 Bay City News, Inc. All rights reserved. Republication, rebroadcast or redistribution without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. Bay City News is a 24/7 news service covering the greater Bay Area.
