New Marin Oversight Committee Aims To Promote Accountability

MARIN COUNTY, CA — A new oversight committee aims to promote accountability in the Marin County Sheriff’s Office, officials said in a news release.

The independent community oversight committee will work in partnership with the agency.

The county this month will host three community conversations and conduct a survey to collect input on experiences with law enforcement, priorities for oversight, and strategies to enhance law enforcement accountability.

The feedback will help inform the development of the new independent civilian body, to be known as the Assembly Bill (AB) 1185 Sheriff’s Oversight Committee.

The Board of Supervisors allocated funds in the budget to conduct community outreach and develop recommendations in collaboration with the Human Rights Commission and the County Administrator’s Office.

AB 1185, effective as of January 2021, authorizes counties to create a sheriff’s oversight board and an office of inspector general, and grants the bodies subpoena power enforceable by court action.

The County has contracted with the National Association for Civilian Oversight of Law Enforcement (NACOLE) – an experienced law enforcement oversight consultant and facilitator – to guide the engagement process and gather input from Marin communities on the structure, scope, and function of a civilian oversight body.