Disability Rights California supports a motion for increased Los Angeles County Sheriff accountability and urges the passage of a charter amendment that would enable the removal of the sheriff under specific conditions.

Via E-MAIL

Members of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors
Kenneth Hahn Hall of Administration
500 West Temple Street
Los Angeles, CA 90012

Re: Supervisors Mitchell and Solis Motion #12, July 12, 2022
Sheriff Accountability

Honorable Members of the Board of Supervisors:

Disability Rights California (DRC) is the state’s protection and advocacy system, charged under state and federal law with advancing the rights of people with disabilities. drc strongly supports Supervisors Mitchell and Solis’s Motion to Promote Accountability and Community Safety through Checks and Balances of the Los Angeles County Sheriff.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s actions bear on people with disabilities in multiple contexts: from deputy encounters in the field to the treatment of individuals held in custody. Given the potential for violence and excessive use of force perpetrated by deputies, a Sheriff who exercises effective leadership and submits to transparent review of their department is essential to prevent abuse. Unfortunately, this type of leadership has been lacking in LA County, as demonstrated by countless substantiated incidents of violence perpetrated against civilians-many of them disabled- in the jails and in the community. These incidents prompted the Board to form the Citizens’ Commission on Jail Violence, the Office of the Inspector General, and the Sheriff Civilian Oversight Commission. Despite these measures, the current Sheriff has chosen to flout and ignore these oversight mechanisms, with no available recourse by the Board.

Disability Rights California joins multiple community and labor organizations in urging you to pass Supervisors Mitchell and Solis’s motion directing the Board to refer to the voters a charter amendment allowing removal of the sheriff if certain stringent conditions are met. LA County voters deserve the opportunity to decide how they want County government to operate.

We thank you for your continued leadership.

Sincerely,

Pamila Lew
Senior Counsel