`Listening Session' Planned Tonight to Consider Changes at Sheriff's Office

PALM DESERT (CNS) - A Board of Supervisors committee created to
consider residents' concerns and requests for changes at the Riverside County
Sheriff's Department will convene a community meeting tonight in Palm Desert to
hear from the public.
  

``The purpose of these `listening sessions' is to hear directly from
the people we serve," Board Chair Karen Spiegel said earlier this month.
``Community input is essential as we explore oversight options and evaluate
what approaches may best support transparency, accountability and public trust
in Riverside County."
  

Spiegel and Supervisor Jose Medina represent the board on the Ad-Hoc
Committee to Evaluate Oversight Options for the Sheriff's Department, which was
formed by unanimous vote in July.
 

``Meaningful public engagement is a critical part of good
governance,'' Medina said. ``We encourage residents to take part in this
process and share their perspectives as we work toward recommendations that
reflect the needs and values of Riverside County communities.''
  

The listening session on Thursday is scheduled from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
at the Coachella Valley Water District, Robbins Administrative Building, 75515
Hovley Lane.
  

One more session is planned, at 6 p.m. Monday, and that will be online
at https://www.youtube.com/live/QY76h4d56HE, or for Spanish speakers at
https://www.youtube.com/live/MPcf7i6qzmQ.
  

The committee will seek to address whether there's a need for stronger
oversight of the sheriff's department, by way of an inspector general or
other authority, and what legal, financial and operational considerations come
into play if a higher level of independent oversight is implemented.
  

The department has long been a focal point of controversy, going back
several administrations, mostly stemming from lawsuits tied to alleged
excessive use of force tactics or deputy-involved shootings.
  

Under Sheriff Chad Bianco, complaints have increased, though most
condemnations of the sheriff's policies in recent years have evolved from in-
custody deaths, the majority of which have been drug-related.
  

The county's 19-member civil Grand Jury determined in June that
additional oversight and system-wide reforms are warranted and would benefit
residents.
  

Bianco has regularly disputed allegations that sheriff's tactics and
policies are deficient, arguing that criticisms frequently emanate from anti-
law enforcement activists.
  

A bill signed in September by the governor, Senate Bill 1379, will
require the most significant reform to the sheriff's agency in decades by
mandating division of sheriff and coroner operations. By the start of the next
fiscal year, the board will have to establish the Office of Medical Examiner,
which will be entirely independent of the sheriff's department.
  

Those who intend to address the committee Thursday were requested to
fill out speaker cards in advance at https://rivcocob.org/form/request-to-speak-
adhoc-oversight.
  

Comments may also be submitted to the committee in writing, without
appearing in person. Details are also available at the preceding link.
  

The committee will return to the full board with a report on its
findings at the end of January.