I attended the LA County Board of Supervisors meeting last Tuesday and listened to more than 100 people testify as to why the BOS should approve the creation of a Civilian Oversight Commission of the Sheriffs Department. I wasnt surprised at the outcome of the vote; I was disgusted and ashamed by the no votes of the three white Supervisors. I had advocated for the motion, along with my peers, and had hoped that the supervisor who represented the district where I live would be swayed by the many people, some of whom were religious leaders, who urged him to vote in favor of establishing the commission. Instead, he spoke of his support of the newly appointed Attorney General, a white lawyer who has been in place for five months and admits he has had no success getting the information he needs from the Sheriffs department, and told people--some of whom have been waiting for years for justice--that this man needs to be given more time and that the community needs to be patient despite the horrifying history of abuse of inmates, including people with mental disorders, in the county jails. The spokesperson for the Jail Committee, a white administrator, testified that the committee had recommended the appointment of an Attorney General and was currently not in favor of a civilian oversight commission due in part to the possibility of setting up unrealistic expectations in the community. In my opinion, the mission of the Attorney General and that of a civilian oversight commission with regard to abuses by sheriffs in Los Angeles County are quite different, although intended to be complimentary. The A.G. investigates and makes determinations about allegations of abuse and what was or wasnt done legally. The role of the Commission is to educate and inform, to clarify policy and make recommendations to the Sheriffs Department that will lead to improvement in services. I think thats the way things work in other major cities and counties in this country, and I know that studies have shown that where there is civilian oversight of law enforcement, the community has more confidence in the outcome. I know I certainly would.
Posted on: Sat, 09 Aug 2014 22:40:23 +0000
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