SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — The San Diego County Board of Supervisors adopted the second reading of an ordinance expanding oversight to the Citizens Law Enforcement Review Board (CLERB) on Tuesday.
CLERB is a county run program that investigates complaints against the San Diego Sheriff’s Office. The ordinance would expand CLERB’s ability to investigate in-custody deaths and expand the group’s oversight.
Throughout this year, there have been eight in-custody deaths in San Diego County.
“This is about transparency, justice, and ensuring we honor the dignity of every individual, including those in our custody,” Supervisor Monica Montgomery Steppe said.
In cases of in-custody deaths, the ordinance will allow CLERB to investigate any employee/contractor who works under the Sheriff or Probation Offices, even healthcare workers.
CLERB would also be required to complete investigations within one year. If they can’t complete the investigation within this time frame, the executive officer reports to the Board of Supervisors within 30 days.
They must also prioritize death incidents over all other investigations.
The board is required to review all complaints reporting an in-custody death, even if the death is reportedly caused by natural causes.
Additionally, the county approved two new additional full-time positions for medical consultants to investigate the quality of treatment those in custody receive.
“For too long, there have been gaps in oversight that left families and our communities without answers. Today, we have taken a bold and necessary step forward,” Steppe said.
When the plan was introduced on Sept. 9, Sheriff Kelly Martinez shared concern that the ordinance does not have a “risk model” for medical providers and insisted that the board adopt an independent assessment board.
“While I am disappointed the majority of the Board of Supervisors did not approve my recommendation for an independent, comprehensive evaluation of our jail healthcare system, my commitment to the individuals in our custody remains unchanged, and I will move forward on advancing improvements,” Martinez said at an earlier meeting.
“I have always supported the important work of the CLERB and will continue to do so, at the same time fighting for meaningful improvements,” Martinez added.
The county approved the second reading in a 4-1 vote. Steppe hopes this sets a new precedent in California, as there are no other civilian oversight boards overseeing both healthcare and custodial staff in detention facilities.
“This ordinance is a turning point—not just in policy, but in our values as a county,” Steppe said. “We are setting a higher standard for justice, transparency, and care.”
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