Calls Grow for Stronger Civilian Oversight of Riverside County Sheriff’s Department

Calls for stronger civilian oversight of the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department are intensifying, as a coalition of advocacy groups pushes a new ballot initiative following a rise in in-custody deaths.

The Riverside County Sheriff Accountability Coalition is working to place the proposal before voters after the Board of Supervisors rejected a similar plan earlier this year. The coalition now aims to qualify a measure for the 2026 ballot that would establish an independent civilian oversight commission and an Inspector General’s Office to monitor the Sheriff’s Department.

For the past five years, community organizations have urged county leaders to create formal oversight — a demand they say has grown more urgent amid an increase in in-custody deaths and misconduct complaints.

After the proposal was rejected in July by all but one county supervisor, the coalition launched a petition to move the matter directly to voters.

If approved, the civilian-led oversight commission would have the authority to:

• Investigate complaints involving the Sheriff’s Department

• Review and recommend changes to departmental policies and procedures

• Issue subpoenas for documents

• Hire independent legal counsel

• Appoint an Inspector General to conduct further monitoring

Coalition members — including groups such as Riverside All of Us or None — say this level of independent scrutiny is long overdue, citing a rise in lawsuits, ongoing investigations, and a spike in jail deaths that they believe has eroded public trust.

Not everyone agrees that a new oversight structure is needed. Sheriff Chad Bianco, who is also running for governor, has strongly criticized the proposal, arguing that the department already operates under an existing oversight system.

According to Bianco, members of the current committee — appointed by each county supervisor and made up of residents from various professions — meet with him at least once a month.

Riverside County recorded 19 in-custody deaths in 2022, the highest number in its history. Bianco says the circumstances behind those deaths paint a more complex picture than critics suggest.

Coalition members plan to collect signatures countywide in the coming months. If they meet the required threshold, the issue will be placed directly before voters — giving residents, not elected officials, the final say on whether to adopt a new oversight system.