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Sheriff's Oversight Commission

Overview

The County of Marin and the Board of Supervisors are committed to establishing an independent Civilian Oversight Commission and Office of the Inspector General to cultivate trust, transparency, and accountability.

The draft ordinance aims to make Marin County a model of effective civilian oversight that strengthens trust between the community and the Sheriff’s Office while providing an accountable, independent process for addressing concerns.

Assembly Bill 1185 (AB 1185), effective January 2021, authorized counties to create sheriff oversight boards and inspector general offices with subpoena power enforceable by court action.

Community involvement is essential to building and maintaining public trust, that’s why Marin County called on members of the community to help lead this process. Engaging directly with the community allowed us to build a framework for civilian oversight that reflects and addresses the needs of Marin County.

 Learn more about the various stages of this process:

 

Civilian Oversight Implementation

The implementation process began in June 2023 and continues today.

Initial Board Direction

On June 13, 2023, the Board of Supervisors received an informational presentation on the Working Group's recommendations regarding Civilian Oversight. The Board agreed to move forward with “Option One” from the Working Group’s recommendations, with minor staff adjustments. This proposal includes creating both a Civilian Oversight Commission and an Office of the Inspector General. To support these efforts, the County will hire an Inspector General, a Community Engagement Coordinator, and administrative support.

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Meet and Confer Process

The County and union representatives have completed the “meet and confer” process in August 2024, which was a necessary step before the Board of Supervisor could consider adopting the ordinance. have drafted the proposed Ordinance through a “meet and confer” process. In California, government entities must follow the Myers Milias Brown Act (MMBA), which requires them to consult with unions about any decisions that could impact employees’ work conditions before making those decisions. Only in rare emergencies can an agency act without completing this process.

This was also informed by the Sonoma County case regarding Measure P, which involved amending their law enforcement oversight ordinance. The case clarified that any authority to conduct independent investigations into peace officer misconduct must also go through this “meet and confer” process before the authority is approved by a public agency.

Marin County has followed these legally required steps by meeting and conferring with law enforcement unions and carefully considering the interests of all stakeholders.

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Ordinance Adoption - CURRENT STAGE

The Ordinance will be presented to the Board of Supervisors for consideration at the October 29th Board meeting. The item is scheduled for 5:30pm. An Ordinance must come to two meetings before the Board can vote to adopt it. Therefore, the earliest the Board can vote on this Ordinance is at the November 5th Board meeting.

Oversight Committee Launch

If the Ordinance is formally adopted, steps will be taken to implement the Ordinance as written, including launching the AB 1185 Sheriff’s Oversight Commission and Office of the Inspector General appointment processes.

 

Community Engagement

A multi-prong community engagement process took place through April 2023 to gather input on a meaningful framework and structure for the independent oversight body, which will be known as the AB 1185 Sheriff’s Oversight Commission.

Community Outreach Working Group

In September 2022, 15 individuals were selected to join the Community Outreach Working Group based on their lived or professional experience related to justice, police oversight, law, community organizing, research, finance, and other relevant areas. The group’s composition was designed to be diverse, inclusive, and representative of the community.

The Working Group’s role includes promoting the entire community engagement process, conducting outreach, and providing feedback on draft products and framework options.

The Board of Supervisors and County staff are deeply appreciative of the collaboration, time and significant effort dedicated by all members of the Community Outreach Working Group and all members of the community who engaged in the various outreach efforts. A huge thank you to everyone that has been involved and we look forward to continued collaboration.

Community Conversations

The County of Marin hosted three initial community conversations in November 20222 to collect input on residents' lived experiences with law enforcement, priorities for oversight, and strategies to enhance law enforcement accountability. These meetings were conducted via videoconference.

Survey and Focus Groups

The County conducted a multilingual survey in December 2022 through January 2023. In addition, the County also conducted nine focus groups in January 2023, focusing on youth, students, communities of color, and those disproportionately impacted by the criminal legal system. These efforts aimed to gather feedback on oversight models and priorities.

Survey and Focus Group Summary Findings

 

Additional Information

The County of Marin contracted with the National Association for Civilian Oversight of Law Enforcement (NACOLE) to design and facilitate the oversight process. For more information on civilian oversight, visit NACOLE’s website.

The County is committed to establishing independent law enforcement oversight and we appreciate the collaboration and effort from all involved in each stage of this process.