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OP-ED: Supervisors Must Implement Civilian Oversight of Sheriff’s Dept. Over Santa Rita Jail Death

Norma Nelson, a lifetime Black Women Organized for Political Action member (Sacramento Chapter) and founding member of the California League of Women Voters Criminal Justice Committee Interest Group, joined the circle of families whose tragic experiences highlight the need for transparency and accountability in Alameda County law enforcement.

Published

10 months ago

June 22, 2023

Oakland Post

At the Alameda County Board of Supervisors’ Public Protection Committee meeting last month, Norma Nelson joined Angelina Reyes, president of the Alameda County Council of League of Women Voters, in urging “implementation of a strong, independent civilian oversight of the Sheriff with subpoena power so that violence in the jail and deaths like my brother’s can be fully investigated.”

By Katie Dixon

Moina Shaiq

Rev. Derron Jenkins

On May 2, 2020, her brother, Donald Nelson, a Black man, had his medical request and needs ignored by staff at Santa Rita jail, the family asserts.

Instead, according to the family, Donald Nelson was placed in a holding cell with an alleged white supremacist (based upon social media posts) only to be fatally assaulted within two hours of being in custody.

Though they reached out to jail staff, the family was not notified for nearly a week as he lay dying alone in a hospital bed.

Alameda County voters want oversight of law enforcement. They voted twice by over 80% for police oversight in Oakland and elected a new reform-minded sheriff who campaigned supporting oversight of her own office. Community engagement by the sheriff’s office itself has shown the highest priority – 80% – is for oversight and transparency.

The Board of Supervisors organized a year-long process and heard the same message overwhelmingly from their constituents. Yet now Supervisors say they are unclear if voters want effective oversight of law enforcement. Meaningful, effective, independent oversight of the Sheriff’s Department must include:

Independent legal counsel for the Oversight Board separate from County Counsel which represents the interests of the county in lawsuits that may be at odds with oversight.
An Oversight Board of diverse backgrounds and knowledge, not representing law enforcement or county officials. Candidates for the Oversight Board should be recruited by a selected panel of county residents for appointment by the Board of Supervisors
An Inspector General with subpoena power with authority to provide professional, full-time assistance
Adequate resources, including investigators and policy analysts

Before voting on oversight, we call on each Supervisor to commit to refusing campaign contributions from law enforcement unions so the public can trust their decisions are not influenced by the police unions’ deep pockets.

If Supervisors don’t trust what they learned from their own constituent outreach, they should place an initiative for strong, independent sheriff oversight on the 2024 ballot.

Current county oversight proposals are less effective and will perpetuate a culture that drastically needs to change. It is critical that the Supervisors create oversight that includes the demonstrated desire of county residents for real accountability and reform, not window dressing.

We join county residents who are hopeful about newly elected Sheriff Yesenia Sanchez. But oversight isn’t about who is sheriff – it’s good government that can build trust with the community and save taxpayer money by strengthening effective law enforcement and addressing the issues that have led to numerous expensive lawsuits against the county.

Effective civilian oversight will assist the Board and sheriff in determining and making the reforms that the Alameda County’s Sheriff’s Department and jail need.

Oversight gives residents a voice to raise issues of concern and ensure a dedicated staff and Board to research and investigate policies and situations to bring recommendations to the Supervisors.

The Board of Supervisors discusses Sheriff Oversight at the Public Protection meeting on Thursday, June 22 at 10 a.m. The public can participate at 1221 Oak St, Oakland or on zoom (email sheriffoversight@gmail.com for link).

Katie Dixon, of All of Us or None; Moina Shaiq, of Interfaith Coalition for Justice in Our Jails and Rev. Derron Jenkins, Coalition for Police Accountability are the authors of this Op-Ed.

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Oakland Post: Week of April 24 – 30, 2024

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of April 24 – 30, 2024

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1 day ago

April 26, 2024

Oakland Post

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Oakland Post: Week of April 17 – 23, 2024

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of April 17 – 23, 2024

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1 week ago

April 19, 2024

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Oakland Schools Honor Fred Korematsu Day of Civil Liberties

Every Jan. 30, OUSD commemorates the legacy of Fred Korematsu, an Oakland native, a Castlemont High School graduate, and a national symbol of resistance, resilience, and justice. His defiant stand against racial injustice and his unwavering commitment to civil rights continue to inspire the local community and the nation. Tuesday was “Fred Korematsu Day of Civil Liberties and the Constitution” in the state of California and a growing number of states across the country.

Published

1 week ago

April 19, 2024

Oakland Post

Fred Korematsu. Courtesy of OUSD.

By Post Staff

Every Jan. 30, OUSD commemorates the legacy of Fred Korematsu, an Oakland native, a Castlemont High School graduate, and a national symbol of resistance, resilience, and justice.

His defiant stand against racial injustice and his unwavering commitment to civil rights continue to inspire the local community and the nation. Tuesday was “Fred Korematsu Day of Civil Liberties and the Constitution” in the state of California and a growing number of states across the country.
One OUSD school is named in his honor: Fred T. Korematsu Discovery Academy (KDA) elementary in East Oakland.

Several years ago, founding KDA Principal Charles Wilson, in a video interview with anti-hate organization “Not In Our Town,” said, “We chose the name Fred Korematsu because we really felt like the attributes that he showed in his work are things that the children need to learn … that common people can stand up and make differences in a large number of people’s lives.”

Fred Korematsu was born in Oakland on Jan. 30, 1919. His parents ran a floral nursery business, and his upbringing in Oakland shaped his worldview. His belief in the importance of standing up for your rights and the rights of others, regardless of race or background, was the foundation for his activism against racial prejudice and for the rights of Japanese Americans during World War II.

At the start of the war, Korematsu was turned away from enlisting in the National Guard and the Coast Guard because of his race. He trained as a welder, working at the docks in Oakland, but was fired after the bombing of Pearl Harbor in 1941. Fear and prejudice led to federal Executive Order 9066, which forced more than 120,000 Japanese Americans out of their homes and neighborhoods and into remote internment camps.

The 23-year-old Korematsu resisted the order. He underwent cosmetic surgery and assumed a false identity, choosing freedom over unjust imprisonment. His later arrest and conviction sparked a legal battle that would challenge the foundation of civil liberties in America.

Korematsu’s fight culminated in the Supreme Court’s initial ruling against him in 1944. He spent years in a Utah internment camp with his family, followed by time living in Salt Lake City where he was dogged by racism.

In 1976, President Gerald Ford overturned Executive Order 9066. Seven years later, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco vacated Korematsu’s conviction. He said in court, “I would like to see the government admit that they were wrong and do something about it so this will never happen again to any American citizen of any race, creed, or color.”

Korematsu’s dedication and determination established him as a national icon of civil rights and social justice. He advocated for justice with Rosa Parks. In 1998, President Bill Clinton gave him the Presidential Medal of Freedom saying, “In the long history of our country’s constant search for justice, some names of ordinary citizens stand for millions of souls … To that distinguished list, today we add the name of Fred Korematsu.”

After Sept. 11, 2001, Korematsu spoke out against hatred and discrimination, saying what happened to Japanese Americans should not happen to people of Middle Eastern descent.
Korematsu’s roots in Oakland and his education in OUSD are a source of great pride for the city, according to the school district. His most famous quote, which is on the Korematsu elementary school mural, is as relevant now as ever, “If you have the feeling that something is wrong, don’t be afraid to speak up.”