END SHERIFF VIOLENCE IN LA COUNTY JAILS

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Dignity and Power Now is the anchor organization for the Coalition to End Sheriff Violence (C2ESV), a coalition of Los Angeles community organizations who fought and won civilian oversight for the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department in 2014.  

The Los Angeles County Civilian Oversight Commission (COC) was officially implemented in January 2016. Of the nine-member commission appointed by the Board of Supervisors, four must be community members. All commission members serve three-year terms and can serve a maximum of two terms. The COC allows for an unlimited number of complaints to be filed against the Sheriff’s Department. The commission meets every month and has a 10-minute Family Impact Remarks platform for families to speak freely about their experiences with LASD/law enforcement. The Coalition to End Sheriff Violence (C2ESV) also offers support to families directly or indirectly impacted by the carceral jail system, mental health, trauma, and law enforcement violence. We will help support you in court, meetings, and while giving public testimony. 

We continue to fight for the COC to be effective for communities around Los Angeles County and Antelope Valley. If you would like more information on attending meetings, support, and guidance through the carceral jail system with your loved one, please contact:  

Michele Infante – Senior Campaign Lead
Email: michele@dignityandpowernow.org

If you’d like to learn more about the Civilian Oversight Commission (COC), please visit: https://coc.lacounty.gov/

Dignity and Power Now have several initiatives to End Sheriff Violence in the LA County jails.  Although the existence of the commission is a major victory, the C2ESV is still fighting to ensure the commission has the power to hold the Sheriff and his Department accountable and transparent. This includes the power to subpoena the Sheriff’s Department, outside independent investigative powers when a community member dies at the hands of LASD, the power to direct the work of the Office of Inspector General, support the ACLU charter amendment to allow the Board of Supervisors to impeach the Sheriff for criminal conduct and the demand that NO former law enforcement serves on the commission. As of 2016, there are two former law enforcement officers, Judge Bonner, a former DEA, and Customs Enforcement, and J.P.Harris, a retired 30-year veteran former Los Angeles County Sheriff Deputy.  We continue to fight monthly for these changes.

In support of the demand for Subpoena Power, the Reform Jails and Community Reinvestment Initiative was launched in 2018. Subpoena power for the COC passed and was approved by voters around LA County.  The Reform Jails and Community Initiative puts the conversation of police accountability, transparency, and alternatives to incarceration into the hands of the VOTERS.

Read the latest blogs featuring the Coalition to End Sheriff Violence!