Sec. 2-392. - Independent office of law enforcement review and outreach established.

(a)

County sheriffs lead agencies of law enforcement officers that are vested with extraordinary authority, and the powers to detain, search, arrest, and use deadly force. These officers are also responsible for the safety and welfare of the more than seventy-five thousand (75,000) incarcerated individuals in California's jail system. Misuse of these authorities can lead to grave constitutional violations, harms to liberty and the inherent sanctity of human life, and significant public unrest.

(b)

While sheriffs are independently elected officials, boards of supervisors have the authority to supervise these officials and investigate the performance of their duties and have an obligation to ensure sheriffs and their departments uphold and respect people's constitutional rights.

(c)

Meaningful independent oversight and monitoring of sheriffs' departments increases government accountability and transparency, enhances public safety, and builds community trust in law enforcement. Such oversight must have the authority and independence necessary to conduct credible and thorough investigations.

(d)

The board of supervisors ("board") established the Independent Office of Law Enforcement Review and Outreach (hereinafter "IOLERO"), by Resolution on August 18, 2015, pursuant to its authority under California law, including Government Code sections 31000.1 and 25303, with the following mission:

(1)

To provide an objective, independent and appropriate review and audit of law enforcement administrative investigations of employees, which may include allegations of misconduct, by the Sonoma County Office of the Sheriff-Coroner (hereinafter, "sheriff-coroner"); to provide an alternate site for members of the public to file complaints against employees of law enforcement agencies, including the sheriff's office;

(2)

To provide independent investigations of employees of the sheriff-coroner where an investigation by that office is found by IOLERO to be incomplete or deficient in some way;

(3)

To propose thoughtful policy recommendations to the sheriff-coroner;

(4)

To increase transparency of law enforcement operations, training, policies and procedures; and

(5)

To conduct outreach to and engage the communities of Sonoma County so as to foster a culture of accountability and communication between the community and the sheriff-coroner while improving community relations and enhancing public confidence in policing and corrections services provided by the sheriff-coroner.

(e)

As part of the board of supervisor's duty to supervise the official conduct of the sheriff under state law, IOLERO was created by the board of supervisors. IOLERO is intended to promote the common interest of the board of supervisors and the sheriff in effective and lawful policing and corrections, and in complete, unbiased administrative investigations, and to facilitate the board of supervisors' supervisorial responsibility without interfering with the sheriff's criminal investigative functions.

(Ord. No. 6333, § 1, 11-3-2020)