SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — On Tuesday, the San Diego County Board of Supervisors approved a proposal meant to strengthen accountability and transparency within the San Diego County Sheriff’s Office (SDSO) by establishing an independent oversight body.
The proposal, which was introduced by Vice Chair Monica Montgomery Steppe, suggests creating an Office of Inspector General (OIG) to monitor and review SDSO operations.
Once created, the OIG would have the authority to monitor conditions in county-operated jails, medical and mental health services, and staff conduct. There have been 9 in-custody deaths within detention facilities, according to the latest data available from the department on Oct. 16.
It would also have the power to conduct internal audits, initiate investigations, recommend disciplinary actions to the Sheriff and even serve as an attorney and special counsel to the Board of Supervisors and the Citizens Law Enforcement Review Board (CLERB).
“In response to the proposal, “We must recognize that adding another layer doesn’t equal more accountability — it equals more bureaucracy,” said San Diego County Sheriff Kelly Martinez in response to the proposal. “Each new oversight body duplicates reviews, drains resources, and diverts time away from what improves safety, care, and operations. It drains resources from real reform and undermines the progress our employees work tirelessly to achieve.”
In a statement, Martinez said she was grateful for the opportunity to speak on the proposal, but that her office had not been not consulted prior to the docketing of the board letter.
However, she reaffirmed the department’s ongoing commitment to transparency, safety and modernization.
She urged the board to reject the OIG feasibility proposal and turn their attention to collaborative solutions that would deliver progress in jail management and policing.
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