In a decisive move, San Diego County's Board of Supervisors voted 4-0 to grant the Citizens’ Law Enforcement Review Board (CLERB) enhanced power to investigate deaths occurring within county jails. The decision, as reported by the San Diego Union-Tribune, comes in the wake of at least eight custodial deaths in the current year, bringing reforms to a head after public outcry and recent casualties.
This expansion of authority for CLERB, introduced by Supervisor Monica Montgomery Steppe, will now extend to investigating sheriff’s deputies, probation officers, medical staff, and contractors in these death cases. However, Sheriff Kelly Martinez opposed the changes, which came hours after her statement claiming the oversight board's recent push being influenced by activists wanting to abolish jails altogether, which Martinez deemed a "false narrative." According to a San Diego Union-Tribune interview and a public statement, Montgomery Steppe expressed her disappointment with the sheriff's stance, stating, "CLERB is not anti-law enforcement."
The policy changes demand that all in-custody deaths be investigated, even those deemed to occur through natural causes, and aim to complete these reviews within a one-year timeframe. NBC San Diego highlighted this and other procedural overhauls to enable the board to "investigate any employee or contractor" under the direction of sheriffs or probation departments. New rules also call for the board's executive officer to report to the Board of Supervisors within 30 days if CLERB fails to finish an investigation in the specified duration and bring back findings of potential policy violations or recommendations for improvement.
The recent vote aligns with the county's ongoing legal challenges and multimillion-dollar payouts stemming from previous jail deaths. As NBC San Diego reported, families of the deceased, alongside justice reform advocates, have voiced strong support for the measures. Notably, Denise Settles, whose brother-in-law died in custody, told the board, "Going to jail and receiving subpar medical attention should not be a death sentence." This plea echoes many community members' sentiments as they clamor for greater accountability and closure.
CLERB Executive Officer Brett Kalina, in his remarks acknowledging the gravity of these reforms, pointed out the fiscal and human costs of failed oversight, telling the San Diego Union-Tribune, "When we reduce these deaths and the numbers go down, it actually saves the county money down the road." In the meantime, county officials will enter discussions with the labor unions representing the medical employees affected by these policy changes. Subsequently, negotiations will shape the implementation of these newly approved powers.
