For years, the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department has been rocked by scandal. On Tuesday, the Board of Supervisors could take steps toward greater oversight of the troubled agency. The Sheriff’s Department has been under a federal consent decree for a decade. A record 18 people died in county jails in 2022. The state attorney general even launched an investigation into the department, which runs those jails.
Today, the Board of Supervisors will vote whether to develop a plan for an oversight committee and an inspector general. If they vote in favor, a working group would have six months to come up with the proposal.
Luis Nolasco, with the ACLU of Southern California, says they want it done in 90 days.
“We're really urging the boards to get this done in a way that is responsive to the immediacy of the need. Because the longer it takes, also more people could potentially die,” said Nolasco.
Chad Bianco, who’s been sheriff since 2018, has bristled at the criticism. Bianco didn’t respond to KVCR's request for comment.