Sheriff Accountability Coalition Mission Statement
Coalition members include ACLU of Southern California, League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), Starting Over, Starting Over Strong and LWV Riverside.
We are a diverse group of Riverside County residents and organizations calling on our Riverside County Board of Supervisors to provide much-needed accountability for the Riverside Sheriff’s Office.
The ongoing issues surrounding sheriff-involved shootings, in-custody deaths, and the significant financial liability resulting from the lack of oversight have erolded public trust and demand urgent reforms
We believe independent oversight of law enforcement is good for both deputies and the community they serve, as well as important for good government practices.
Accountability for the Riverside’s Sheriff’s Department is heading to the
November 2026 Ballot.
Starting Over Strong and Riverside’s All of Us or None are proud to announce the launch of a signature gathering campaign to ensure the “Riverside County Sheriff’s Department Independent Civilian Oversight Initiative” is placed on the November 2026 election ballot.
This measure, if enacted, would adopt a Riverside County ordinance to establish an independent Sheriff’s Civilian Oversight Committee (“Committee”).
The Committee members will be civilians appointed by the Board of Supervisors. This Committee shall have the following authorities:
1. Investigate complaints and legal claims involving Riverside County Sheriff’s Department (“Department”) personnel.
2. Review and recommend changes to the Department’s policies and procedures.
3. Provide civilian oversight of the Department’s operations.
4. Issue subpoenas for documents and testimony as necessary for its investigations. 5. Retain independent legal counsel.
This measure would also establish the Office of Inspector General to do the following:
1. Have access to the Department’s and Riverside County’s documents relevant to the Committee’s investigations.
2. Provide administrative support and coordination for the Committee’s activities.
3. Issue periodic public reports to the County Board of Supervisors and the public on the Committee’s findings and recommendations.
4. Conduct and/or coordinate the Committee’s oversight investigations.
Read the official Ballot Title and Summary here.
The Oversight Initiative Committee would greatly appreciate your help. To volunteer to circulate petitions please contact General Parker at generalp.startingoverinc [at] gmail.com or Vonya Quarles at vonya [at] startingoverinc.org vonya [at] startingoverinc.org (
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For interviews or more information contact : Fidel Chagolla at (951) 898-0862 or fidel [at] startingoverinc.org
ONE PAGE FACT SHEET PDF FLYER 4.28.25
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We are working together to effect the following changes:
- Separation of the roles of the County Coroner's Office and the Sheriff Departmment
- Establishment of a community oversight body for the operations, all internal and external formal complaints, and serve as the public facing entity that engages with the community.
- Establishment of an Office of Inspector General (OIG) to provide independent and comprehensive oversight, monitoring of, and reporting about the Sheriff's Department and serve as the investigative arm of the Sheriff Civilian Oversight Commission.
- The activities and recommendations of the community oversight body to present regularly, directly, publicly, and transparently to the full County Board of Supervisors.
- The community oversight body and OIG to have subpoena authority for the independent investigation of all aspects of Sheriff’s Office operations including access to personnel record
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The Riverside County Sheriff's Department oversees county law enforcement for 2.46 million people, operates our 4,000-bed jail system, and performs duties of the coroner’s office, which include investigations into the cause of death. The department has over 4,000 employees with a budget of over $1 billion.
Accountability is integral to any system, and most assuredly for a large and powerful department that deals with matters of life and death.
Patterns of Misconduct That Oversight Could Prevent
- Over 40 in-custody deaths in the last three years, prompting the New York Times to label Riverside County jails as One of America’s Deadliest Jail Systems.
- Egregious deputy misconduct from drug trafficking to excessive force. Deputies have faced civil lawsuits for excessive force, wrongful detentions, and sexual misconduct.
- The Sheriff Department’s lawsuit settlement payouts were nearly $100 million from 2014-2024. These settlements are paid by taxes, not the Sheriff budget.
- Family members of people who die in custody are often denied access to autopsy or incident reports for months, or even years.
- Racial profiling which carries the risk of separation, deportation, or long-term legal consequences for immigrant and mixed status families.
- California Attorney General Rob Bonta has launched a civil rights investigation into the sheriff’s department.
Failures within the department are not caused by one sheriff but are a symptom of a system without safeguards.
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MEDIA
READ OUR JULY 29TH, 2025 STATEMENT on the Riverside County Board of Supervisors' rejection of oversight. RSAC CALLS OUT POLITICAL COWARDICE AND PLEDGES TO KEEP FIGHTING FOR OVERSIGHT OF THE RIVERSIDE COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT
RSAC PRESS RELEASE August 12, 2025
Proposal To Create Ad Hoc Committee On Sheriff Oversight Fails - Riverside Record 8.14.2025
Riverside County’s broken system: Why we need sheriff accountability now Press Enterprise February 16, 2025
The Deadliest Year Inside One of America’s Deadliest Jail Systems November 4, 2024
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Coalitions
California Coalition for Sheriff Accountability * Balancing Power with Responsibility VIDEO
ACLU of Northern California * Why Every County Needs Civilian Oversight of its Local Sheriff's Department
Fixin’ San Mateo County * Ballot Measure A. San Mateo County legislation
Care First California * Inland Empire Lives Lost: A Report of In-Custody Deaths in Riverside and San Bernardino