10 REASONS THE LA SHERIFF'S DEPT NEEDS CIVILIAN OVERSIGHT NOW!

The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department is in dire need of a civilian review board – and scandal, abuse, and brutality aren't the only reasons why! Check out these disturbing facts.

1. They are HUGE.

Public Domain

With over 18,000 employees, the LASD is the largest sheriff's department in the United States. (That number doesn't even include civilian volunteers, reserve deputies, or explorers.) There are over 19,000 inmates in LA County Jails on any given day, which means the sheriff's department practically matches incarcerated people in the world's largest jail system one to one.

2. They are POLICE.

Jametiks / Via Flickr

The LASD doesn't just run the jails, act as bailiffs for the courts, and train smaller law enforcement agencies, they also police parks and government buildings, have policing contracts with LA Metro and several community colleges, and serve as the equivalent of the county police for unincorporated areas of the county as well as incorporated cities that contract with them. Out of 88 municipalities in LA, the Sheriff's Department provides law enforcement services for 42, making them the fourth largest policing agency in the US behind the NYPD, CPD, and LAPD.

3. They are VIOLENT.

American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California / Via endthelie.com

One quick google and you'll find a multitude of recent news stories about LA sheriff deputies beating prisoners without any justification, assaulting prisoners before filing phony reports, removing prisoners from cells forcibly resulting in skull fractures and broken limbs, using fists, batons, projectiles, and tasers on non-resisting prisoners, arresting and detaining people that try to visit the jails, pepper spraying visitors, etc. The ACLU has issued numerous reports and lawsuits detailing LASD violence and last year the FBI indicted 18 sheriff's officers after a jail probe to investigate excessive force and misconduct.

4. They get away with MURDER.

Dignity and Power Now / Via Facebook: EndSheriffViolenceInLaJails

In the last few years the LA Times has documented over 50 people that have been killed by sheriff's deputies. Just like the police, the sheriff's department has their own bill of rights. These "special privileges" mean that a sheriff's deputy can run over an innocent cyclist in a bike lane, kill him, and not even be prosecuted - and that's outside of the jails. In less than 30 months there have been 15 completed suicides within the LA County Jails. If you consider how isolated the jail environment is and the history of blatant sheriff brutality, you have to wonder how many of these are actual suicides.

5. They are RACIST.

Dignity and Power Now / Via Facebook: EndSheriffViolenceInLaJails

Black people make up a mere 9.6% of the population in Los Angeles, yet they constitute 31% of LA County jail prisoners, and 43.7% of those diagnosed with "serious mental illness" requiring special jail housing. Blacks and Latinos combined make up over 80% of the people locked up in LA County jails. According to The Department of Justice if you are a minority outside of the jails it's very likely that sheriff's deputies will aggressively investigate you and illegally search you, all while making overt racist comments. Is it really a coincidence that in a 6 month period 100% of LASD police dog bite victims were Black and Latino?

6. They LIE. (Even the FBI doesn’t trust them.)

Public Domain / Via Wikipedia

Recently the LASD has been scrutinized for inaccurately reporting information that could have prevented suicides and misclassifying about a third of minor assaults as serious offenses – but those are just a few examples in a long history of deception. During the 2011 jail abuse probe sheriff officials discovered that a prisoner was acting as an FBI informant, so they hid him from agents then continued to intimidate witnesses, threaten an FBI agent, and laugh about how "scared" the FBI was.

7. EVERYONE ELSE is doing it.

Dignity and Power Now / Via Facebook: EndSheriffViolenceInLaJails

Over 100 oversight agencies exist around the country that have community-appointed members, subpoena powers, independent investigative powers, and don't allow law enforcement to serve on the boards. They exist to be the voice of the community by implementing reforms and improving department services. Most work directly with an Inspector General who audits, investigates, and oversees the departments' handling of complaints and conducts other investigations as directed by the board. Right now the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department has no oversight and does much of their work inside the privacy of jails. A civilian review board is necessary for transparency and accountability.

8. The Inspector General is NOT ENOUGH.

kreezzalee / Via Flickr

After a recommendation by the Citizens Commission on Jail Violence last year, The Board of Supervisors decided to create an Inspector General that would oversee the Sheriff's Department much like that of the Police Department – they however neglected to appoint a civilian review board to direct him. Instead that responsibility falls on The Board of Supervisors themselves who have repeatedly admitted that they "need help." There remains a need for a body of nonpolitical leaders who are held in high regard by the community that can focus exclusively on the time consuming task of LASD oversight.

9. A new sheriff is still a SHERIFF.

Karppinen / Via Wikimedia

Unlike the Chief of Police, the sheriff is subjected to no real oversight at all. He never even needs to appear at a Board of Supervisors hearing or send the supervisors a report unless he deems it in his interest to do so. There's a lot of talk about how the new sheriff to be elected in November will have the opportunity to restore public trust – considering it'll be another middle-aged white male that has either spent a bulk of his career in the LAPD or is the former undersheriff of the very same corrupt LA County Sheriff's Department, it's going to take a lot more than avoiding public scandal to restore trust. Perhaps he should independently surrender oversight capabilities to a civilian review board!

10. THE PEOPLE WANT IT.

youtube.com / Via Youtube

For more info and upcoming events follow Dignity and Power Now on Facebook.