WHO WE ARE
We are a diverse group of Riverside County residents and organizations calling on our Riverside County Board of Supervisors to provide much-needed accountability for the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office.
The ongoing issues surrounding sheriff-involved shootings, in-custody deaths, and the significant financial liability resulting from the lack of oversight have eroded public trust and demand urgent reforms.
We believe independent oversight of law enforcement is good for both deputies and the community they serve, as well as important for good government practices.
Coalition members include ACLU of Southern California, League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), Starting Over Inc., Starting Over Strong and LWV Riverside, ChiCCCAA and few others.
WHY OVERSIGHT?
Riverside Lives Lost In Custody
The Riverside County Sheriff's Department oversees county law enforcement for 2.46 million people, operates our 4,000-bed jail system, and performs duties of the coroner’s office, which include investigations into the cause of death. The department has over 4,000 employees with a budget of over $1 billion.
Accountability is integral to any system, and most assuredly for a large and powerful department that deals with matters of life and death.
Patterns of Misconduct That Oversight Could Prevent:
Over 40+ in-custody deaths in the last four years, prompting the New York Times to label Riverside County jails as One of America’s Deadliest Jail Systems.
Egregious deputy misconduct from drug trafficking to excessive force. Deputies have faced civil lawsuits for excessive force, wrongful detentions, and sexual misconduct.
The Sheriff Department’s lawsuit settlement payouts were nearly $100 million from 2014-2024. These settlements are paid by taxes, not the Sheriff budget.
Family members of people who die in custody are often denied access to autopsy or incident reports for months, or even years.
Racial profiling which carries the risk of separation, deportation, or long-term legal consequences for immigrant and mixed status families.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta has launched a civil rights investigation into the sheriff’s department.
Failures within the department are not caused by one sheriff but are a symptom of a system without safeguards.