Aric Sleeper here, pondering over the Latin maxim, “Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?” or “Who will watch the watchers?”
With law enforcement agencies across the country and county using surveillance technology to watch and listen to its citizens, ensuring that police officers are using that technology responsibly and not abusing their authority in general is paramount.
In her latest news story, Staff Writer Celia Jiménez reports on the Monterey County Board of Supervisors’ decision to create an office of the inspector general and a community oversight committee to independently oversee the Monterey County Sheriff's Office. The ability to do so comes thanks to AB 1185, passed in 2020.
Monterey County Supervisor Wendy Root Askew said that the office and committee will give the supervisors “the ability to ask better questions of the sheriff and provide the public with more transparency.” Others, like Northern California ACLU Senior Staff Attorney Allysa Victory applauded the decision, saying that oversight benefits the community.
The call for oversight of the Sheriff’s Office first came in 2022, when Root Askew brought the issue forward, Jiménez reports, after former sheriff Steve Bernal was rebuked by the board for misuse of funds and failing to address sexual harassment within the department.
Monterey County Sheriff Tina Nieto said that she has given the board all the information it’s requested and pointed out that oversight of the department will cost taxpayers about $500,000 annually, which she feels could be better spent elsewhere. Earlier this year, Nieto requested roughly $4 million to increase the total number of Flock Safety cameras from 60 to 200, despite violations of state law, launch a one-year pilot program for deputy sheriff recruits and fund new search-and-rescue vehicles. But following budget discussions, the funding request was not granted.
Victory highlighted the need for the oversight committee to have the power to subpoena the Sheriff's Office, which is critical because, “They serve the public, and so they should be held accountable.”
You can read more about the board’s decision by reading Jiménez’s article.