During its June 10 regular meeting, the Marin County Board of Supervisors will consider appointing nine members to the newly established Civilian Oversight Commission, which will conduct oversight of the Marin County Sheriff’s Office.
The appointments follow the November 2024 adoption of Ordinance 3824, which authorized the Board to establish the commission and an Office of the Inspector General to ensure greater transparency and accountability between the Sheriff’s Office and the community.
The County received 67 applications for the commission, indicating a high level of engagement and commitment from the community in applying to serve on the commission.
“We are grateful for the community’s strong interest in serving on this important Civilian Oversight Commission,” said Board of Supervisors President Mary Sackett. “The applicants’ willingness to get involved reflects a shared commitment to fostering a stronger, more transparent relationship between the community and law enforcement.”
The commission will consist of five representatives from supervisorial districts and four at-large members, all of whom must be residents of Marin County. The initial appointments will include a mix of one-year, two-year, and three-year terms to ensure continuity and experience within the commission. Subsequent appointments will serve standard three-year terms, with no commissioner serving more than two consecutive terms.
As indicated by California Assembly Bill 1185, which authorizes counties to create civilian oversight bodies, the commission will conduct oversight of the Sheriff’s operations and policies, review complaints, and produce annual reports on community engagement and oversight activities. Additionally, the commission will provide input in the hiring process for the Inspector General, which will work alongside the commission to provide administrative support and oversight.
Background
In June 2022, the Marin County Civil Grand Jury published a report recommending that the Board of Supervisors establish a sheriff oversight board. In September 2022, the County formed the Community Outreach Working Group, selecting 15 members with expertise in areas such as justice, police oversight, law, and community organizing. The group’s role was to engage with the community, conduct outreach, and provide feedback on oversight frameworks. To gather input, the County hosted three community conversations in November 2022 and conducted a multilingual survey and nine focus groups in early 2023, focusing on youth, communities of color, and those impacted by the criminal justice system.
In June 2023, the Supervisors received the Working Group’s recommendations and decided to move forward with the creation of a commission and an Office of the Inspector General. The “meet and confer” process with union representatives was completed in August 2024, fulfilling legal requirements. The Board adopted the ordinance in November 2024 meeting after two public hearings.
Commission Recruitment
In preparation for the commission’s formation, the County conducted extensive outreach and engagement to recruit a diverse pool of applicants. The effort included virtual and in-person information sessions as well as outreach to community-based organizations.
Next Steps
The staff report for this agenda item will be released on June 5 with additional information, and the Board’s June 10 meeting will provide a chance for community members to learn more and further engage in the process.
Once the commission members are appointed, the Office of the County Executive will begin recruiting an Inspector General with the commission’s input into the process. The commission will hold a kickoff meeting to appoint a chairperson and begin designing a workplan, which may focus on tasks such as drafting bylaws and a code of conduct, researching community engagement best practices, and developing complaint procedures. The commission will also explore training needs and potential providers.
After the Inspector General is appointed, the commission will finalize the training curriculum, seek Board approval for the bylaws and code of conduct, and initiate community outreach efforts. Additionally, the commission will collaborate with the Sheriff’s Office to establish an operational agreement for information exchange between the Inspector General and Sheriff’s personnel, following the required “meet and confer” process under the Meyers-Milias Brown Act.
All commission meetings will be open to the public and subject to the Brown Act. Community members are encouraged to participate. Meeting details and agendas will be regularly posted on the Civilian Oversight Commission webpage.
Leave a Reply