By Katie Dixon

Moina Shaiq

Rev. Derron Jenkins

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.

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.

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.”

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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