ACCOUNTABILITY

The “Accountability and Transparency” working group identified how the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office can remedy community concerns around the assessment and dissemination of data. The goal is to provide direct access to information about specified internal Sheriff’s Office processes. The group identified specific areas within the agency where adjustments are needed to allow the community greater clarity around essential procedures and practices. They are exploring mechanisms to allow easy access to information and ways to deliver information concisely and consistently to the community. The working group also addressed concerns around conflicts of interest, internal investigations, and oversight with regard to services provided by the Sheriff’s Office.

 

OBJECTIVE 1

 

Engage with Oversight/Transparency/Certification groups in a cooperative way to ensure the Sheriff’s Office is held publicly accountable, pursuant to Sheriff Sanchez’s stated accountability platform

 

STATUS

 

TASK 1.1

 

Work with the Alameda County Board of Supervisors in a cooperative way to ensure compliance with public accountability goals.

 

 

 

TASK 1.2

 

Provide information as required to the Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) under the Kenneth Ross Jr. Police Decertification Act of 2021 (Senate Bill 2 or SB2) and assist with their decertification investigations as necessary.

 

 

 

OBJECTIVE 2

 

Explore ways to allow internal investigatory units the ability to conduct investigations or inquiries into Sheriff’s Office practices without the possibility of internal interference by agency members

 

STATUS

 

TASK 2.1

 

Establish independence of the Internal Affairs Unit, allowing the unit to open and investigate internal complaints without potential interference.

 

 

 

TASK 2.2

 

Establish a Coroner’s Inquest process to review law enforcement-involved fatal incidents.

 

 

 

OBJECTIVE 3

 

Create a transparency portal to provide the public with information relevant to the operations

of the Sheriff’s Office

 

STATUS

 

TASK 3.1

 

Include the following information of public concern including, but not limited to:

  • Policies/procedures, orders, and directives of the agency
  • Audit, Accreditation, and Inspection reports
  • Statistical data including Internal Affairs data, Santa Rita population information, and Alameda County death/Coroner statistics.
  • Information on law enforcement related fatal incidents, including deaths occurring within the Santa Rita Jail
  • Financial Information relating to the Sheriff’s Office

 

 

 

 

 

 

TASK 3.2

 

Implement a California Public Records Act (CPRA) Portal/portion of the website for tracking of CPRA requests and the production of materials to the requesting person(s).

 

 

 

TASK 3.3

 

Create a complaint tracking module for the transparency website allowing for the tracking of an external complaint as it moves through the agency.

 

 

 

TASK 3.4

 

Establish a portal for the Sheriff to communicate directly with the public.

 

 

 

TASK 3.5

 

Expand the capabilities of the body-worn camera (BWC) unit within the Sheriff’s Office to release more videos under the public records act or media requests via the transparency portal.

 

 

 

OBJECTIVE 4

 

Improve practices for evaluation of Complaints, Accidents, Uses of Force, and other occurrences of

a sensitive nature

 

STATUS

 

TASK 4.1

 

Transition agency to a modern suite of review tools integrated with our existing body-worn camera and digital evidence system. Doing so keeps the review, body-worn camera video, digital evidence, and internal affairs records in one portal.