Bonta right to probe Riverside County sheriff

Last week, the California Department of Justice announced it was opening a civil rights investigation into the Riverside County Sheriff's Department. The department is among the largest sheriffs departments in California and by extension the United States.

Specifically, the department will investigate whether the sheriff's department “has engaged in a pattern or practice of unconstitutional policing amid deeply concerning allegations relating to conditions of confinement in its jail facilities, excessive force, and other misconduct.”

The announcement comes after a particularly deadly year in the Riverside County jail system. “In 2022, 18 individuals died while incarcerated in Riverside County jails, the highest number for the County in the last 15 years,” noted a Feb. 7 letter from Starting Over Inc., Riverside All of Us or None and the ACLU Southern California.

The groups previously called on the California Department of Justice to investigate the Riverside County Sheriff's Department in 2021 for “racist policing practices, rampant patrol and jail deaths, and its refusal to comply with court orders.”

Among other troubling points, they noted, “In 2019, the RSD had nearly as many fatal shootings by deputies as the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department. Yet, L.A. County has more than four times the number of residents as Riverside.”

The department has been plagued with other problems, including a bizarre incident in 2021 when deputies conducted warrantless raids on the two homes of an elderly Lake Elsinore couple which turned up no evidence of a crime. The county settled a federal civil rights lawsuit with the couple in August 2022 for $136,000.

So, in many ways, the department has warranted an investigation, because something is going wrong.

In response to the investigation, Sheriff Chad Bianco denounced it as a political stunt by Attorney General Rob Bonta to prop up a future run for governor of California.

But it's important to keep in mind that Bianco, who was elected in 2018 after massive spending by the local deputies union, is certainly no stranger to political stunts himself.

While the department has experienced festering problems, Bianco has sought to promote himself in conservative media circles. Bianco might not like the scrutiny, but it's needed to ensure that the department is in fact complying with the law and to ensure the department gets its act together for the sake of Riverside County residents.

“When some communities don't see or feel they are being treated equitably by law enforcement, it contributes to distrust and hurts public safety,” said Attorney General Bonta. “Unfortunately, it is clear that — amid concerning levels of incustody deaths and allegations of misconduct — too many families and communities in Riverside County are hurting and looking for answers.”

He's right. It's time to get to the bottom of what's going on.

Separately, this editorial board reiterates its past call on the Riverside County Board of Supervisors to establish a local oversight body over the sheriff's department. The board can look at models like the Office of Independent Review in Orange County or the Office of Inspector General in Los Angeles County for examples of how to do that.