At the November 2nd board meeting, four of the five Solano County Supervisors voted against the formation of a Sheriff’s Department citizen oversight committee. By California Constitution, the Sheriff is elected and independent of the County Board of Supervisors. However, the board has budget power over the Sheriff. Rio Vista currently contracts its police services through the Sheriff’s Department.
Citizen complaints of police power abuse are investigated within the department. Because these investigations are private, citizens are sometimes suspicious of the final decision. In most investigations, only the person making the complaint learns of the outcome. The records of the investigation are not made public. However, as of January 1, 2021, Assembly Bill 1185 granted all California County Boards of Supervisors the power to form citizen oversight committees with investigative authority to review Sheriff department activities.
For more than two hours during the board meeting, the merits of forming an oversight committee were debated by the Supervisors, the Sheriff, and his staff, with members of the public expressing their views. From the start, three of the supervisors did not feel the cost and added bureaucracy were warranted. Citizen complaints can be registered in person, by mail, by email or by phone. A form can be found on the Solano County website. All complaints must be immediately acknowledged and resolved no later than one hundred days after a grievance. If the complaint is deemed serious, such as unnecessary use of force, it is acknowledged and investigated as a top priority. Citizen complaints can also be tried by the courts, independently investigated by the California Attorney General, made in person at a regularly scheduled Board of Supervisors meeting, or brought to the County Grand Jury.
Supervisor Erin Hannigan (Solano district #1) questioned Sheriff Thomas Ferrara in detail as to why his department is resistant to the implementation of an oversight committee. She also had questions about the diversity of the six hundred employees in his organization.
Sheriff Ferrara reported that out of those six hundred employees, the department had received and investigated fewer than 30 citizen complaints in 2020. He detailed some of the internal programs and policies the department regularly uses to train patrol officers and staff to ensure all his employees present themselves professionally and helpfully. Also pointed out were the eight new California laws signed by Governor Newsom specifically relating to police selection, training, supervision, new reporting requirements, and enhanced public record access.
As to the status of ethnic and gender recruiting for the department, Sheriff Ferrara reported how well his organization had performed. He noted that last year’s department employment record is remarkably close in makeup to the overall population of Solano County.
Sheriff Department Staffing as Compared to 2020 Census County Population
Ethnicity % in Department County Population 2020 Census % by Gender
American Indian 0% 1% Female 35%
Asian 6% 3% Male 65%
African American 9% 16%
Latin Hispanic 21% 14%
Hawaiian (Pacific Islander) 4% 1%
White 60% 59%
Other 0% 6%
Though the department is reflective of the county population, they are attempting to recruit more African Americans. Despite ongoing efforts, white males still account for most of the new applications. The Sheriff noted that the department accepts and investigates an average of 120 applicants to successfully hire one new employee. The department hosts outreach programs, attends job fairs, speaks with city churches, and hosts programs such as the Police Cadet Explorer Program, in an effort to maintain a balanced diversity.
After a lengthy discussion, the vote was one in favor of an oversight committee, and four against. The Supervisors and Sheriff agreed to work toward regular public informational meetings where the public can question the board’s and sheriff’s activities and policies.
For background and to express your views, Senator Bill Dodd (CA Senate District #3) is hosting a live radio “Virtual Town Hall on Police Reform & Social Justice.” The presentation will be available for streaming and will include a question-and-answer session. Guests will be Ms. Shirley Weber, California Secretary of State, Senator Steven Bradford, and Kevin R. Johnson, Dean of UC Davis Law School.
Broadcast and interactive online presentations will begin at 6 PM, November 16, 2021.
How to attend:
Streaming live audio: KSVY.org
Video:
SonomaTV.org
The event also will be broadcast locally on KSVY 91.3 FM
Email questions to: townhall@ksvy.org
Call-in questions: (707) 933-9133