Updated 3:30 p.m. Tuesday
The San Mateo County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a resolution on Tuesday establishing an independent civilian advisory commission to oversee the Sheriff’s Office, with added language to hire one or more inspector generals to help steer it.
But under the resolution, the seven-member commission will include a sheriff’s appointee and not have any subpoena power, a major point of contention among some residents who argue the body won’t have the authority or independence it needs to spur any real reform.
Belmont resident Beth von Emster was one of nearly 20 people who urged supervisors during public comment to delay the vote and rework the proposal.
“The provision in the resolution giving the sheriff the power to nominate one of the seven commissioners is astonishing,” she said. “That nomination power robs the commission of its independence from the very department it’s purporting to observe.”
The board’s vote comes after months of debate over which oversight model would work best for the county. A group of criminal justice advocates pushed for the commission — which will include five community members through an application process — and has argued that it should have subpoena power to hold sheriff’s deputies accountable. Critics of that proposal, however, said such power should be reserved for county-elected officials, as is currently the case.