{"id":74445,"date":"2016-11-01T15:23:20","date_gmt":"2016-11-01T22:23:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/theavtimes.com\/?p=74445"},"modified":"2019-03-27T14:43:53","modified_gmt":"2019-03-27T21:43:53","slug":"los-angeles-county-appoints-civilian-oversight-commissioners","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/theavtimes.com\/2016\/11\/01\/los-angeles-county-appoints-civilian-oversight-commissioners\/","title":{"rendered":"Los Angeles County appoints Civilian Oversight Commissioners"},"content":{"rendered":"

LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Tuesday formally established a civilian panel to oversee the Sheriff’s Department, appointing nine commissioners and an executive director.<\/span><\/p>\n

Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas, an early champion of public oversight, said creating the Civilian Oversight Commission<\/a> is “one more step in the movement for reform, a very important step” that has been years in the making.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Citizens’ Commission on Jail Violence issued its final report<\/a> more than four years ago and the board voted to establish a permanent civilian oversight panel in December 2014. Earlier efforts toward such a panel failed to pass until Supervisors Sheila Kuehl and Hilda Solis joined the board.<\/span><\/p>\n

Mark-Anthony Johnson of the Coalition to End Sheriff Violence voiced concerns about the composition of the commission, including the fact that some members previously worked in law enforcement.<\/span><\/p>\n

The choices (raise) concerns about how far we will go” to bring the community to the table, Johnson said, telling the board his coalition was “celebratory today, but also with a clear eye and a sober eye.”<\/span><\/p>\n

Ridley-Thomas hailed the “stellar group of individuals” who are “diverse” by way of gender, discipline, age and geography, while some activists said it does not include enough people of color.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Los Angeles Times editorial board noted that the board includes only one Latino commissioner, <\/span>Hernan Vera<\/b>, and no Asian members.<\/span><\/p>\n

“The commissioners-to-be are impressive and capable, but taken together the panel perpetuates the county’s continuing failure to give adequate voice to crucial portions of the population directly affected by law enforcement, crime, incarceration and lack of mental health and reentry services,” according to an LAT editorial published Tuesday.<\/span><\/p>\n

In addition to Vera, former Public Counsel CEO, the panel includes:<\/span><\/p>\n