RivCo Sheriff Promises 'Nothing To Hide' In DOJ Investigation

RIVERSIDE COUNTY, CA — A day after California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced his office opened a civil rights investigation into the Riverside County Sheriff's Departmentamid "concerning levels of in-custody deaths and allegations of misconduct," the state agency pointed out in an email to Patch that its "pattern-or-practice" probe is relying "on a wide range of factors."

Specifics were not shared, but public concerns about the Riverside County Sheriff's Department have swirled for several years, including Sheriff Chad Bianco's criticism of statewide pandemic protocols, inquiries into inmate safety amid COVID outbreaks in county jails, calls for greater transparency surrounding in-custody deaths and lethal use-of-force by deputies, and his 2014 Oath Keepers membership.

The sheriff has routinely defended his leadership and he criticized Bonta's investigation, calling it a "political stunt." Bianco also claimed the state probe was fueled by favored "activists."

Groups like the ACLU and others have called on Bonta to launch an investigation into practices at the sheriff's department.

"We write to the Attorney General’s office after exhausting all other routes to obtain basic standards of accountability and humane treatment of Riverside County residents," a 2021 letter by the organizations said in part.

On Thursday, after Bonta's announcement hit, The Press-Enterprise's editorial board ran this piece: "California Department of Justice opens needed investigation into troubled Riverside County Sheriff’s Department."

"This is a long time coming," the PE op-ed read. Last month, the editorial board called on the Riverside County Board of Supervisors to establish an oversight body over the sheriff’s department.

Efforts by county officials to address public concerns have been scant.

In June 2020 — as the country was gripped by COVID and protests over George Floyd's killing — Riverside County Board of Supervisors Chair V. Manuel Perez called for a review of policing policies within the sheriff's department to see where improvements might be made.

There was pressure behind Perez's move. Thousands of protesters turned out in Riverside County demanding that officials address policing concerns. Perez appeared to walk a line, praising Bianco and his deputies for the department's efforts to keep peace in the streets while also addressing public concerns.

Perez asked for review of sheriff's department practices, as well as policy and oversight, including use of force, community policing and crime reduction, training and education, and officer and community wellness and safety.

The ask included the formation of a citizens advisory committee to review deputy-involved lethal use-of-force cases. The sheriff indicated he would create the panel, but nearly three years later nothing has publicly materialized.

The sheriff's department is in charge of the panel, Riverside County spokesperson Brooke Federico said Friday via email.

Sheriff's Sgt. Deirdre Vickers said the "Sheriff's Advisory Committee was created with assistance and input from the Board of Supervisors" but she would not release information about it.

"The advisory committee works closely with the sheriff concerning all aspects of the Office of the Sheriff," the sergeant wrote Friday via email. "Unfortunately, information related to this committee is not being made public at this time."

Cases involving deadly use of force by deputies are reviewed internally by the sheriff's department and investigated by the Riverside County District Attorney's Office. The sheriff's department maintains a "transparency" page on its website with investigation results. The data show the D.A's office routinely finds that, "after careful review," deputies are not criminally liable for the deaths.

Details about in-custody deaths — jail fatalities, deaths at time of arrest, etc. —can be trickier. According to data from the California Department of Justice, 123 people have died while in custody of the Riverside County Sheriff's Department. The figure dates back to January 2019 when Bianco took over the agency. The number does not include 2023 figures, and the 2022 data is preliminary. The number does include all in-custody deaths, not just inside jails, according to the state. Causes of death are varied, and include suicide, overdose, violence and others.

In Los Angeles County, where the population is approximately four times that of Riverside County, the sheriff's department figure there is 221 in-custody deaths for the same period.

Over the same period, in-custody deaths in Orange County were reported at 50, San Bernardino County at 83, and San Diego County at 65, the DOJ data show.

Inmates held in county jails are typically awaiting the judicial process following their arrest. They are presumed innocent until proven guilty even if they have prior criminal convictions.

“All Californians deserve fairness and respect from the institutions that serve them,” Bonta said Thursday in a released statement. “When some communities don’t see or feel they are being treated equitably by law enforcement, it contributes to distrust and hurts public safety. Unfortunately, it is clear that — amid concerning levels of in-custody deaths and allegations of misconduct — too many families and communities in Riverside County are hurting and looking for answers."

In a video response, Bianco said, "We have absolutely nothing to hide and will be more than cooperative and accommodating with this investigation."

After first being elected as sheriff of Riverside County in 2018 and being sworn into office in January 2019, Bianco won reelection in June 2022 with 60.7 percent of the vote. The majority victory allowed him to avoid a November runoff.

Due to a state law signed in September by Gov. Gavin Newsom, Bianco will serve through 2028.