DAVE MYERS: I WILL IDENTIFY, ADDRESS ROOT CAUSES OF DEATHS

Q: Rate ex-sheriff Bill Gore and assess his legacy. What was his biggest accomplishment? What did he most neglect?

A: The San Diego Union-tribune editorial describing Sheriff Gore’s retirement earlier this year as a “relief ” speaks volumes about the state of sheriff ’s leadership. As he departed, he and his leadership team continued to claim that the state auditor’s report of jail deaths was inaccurate, but the 212 jail deaths that were either cited in the audit or that have occurred since speak for themselves. I’ll leave the judging of Gore’s overall legacy to others because there are more urgent issues confronting sheriff ’s leadership today: 1) how to reform the jail system that has produced the highest rate of deaths of the largest jails in California; and 2) what to do about evidence of racial disparities in policing and its direct impact on community trust and deputy recruitment.

Sheriff ’s leadership must identify root causes and address them, otherwise jail deaths will continue. On the issue of racial disparities, the Center for Policing Equity report found African Americans were four times more likely to have force used against them than White people. In March, the Union-tribune published an analysis of stops of drivers and pedestrians. It found African Americans were stopped at a per-capita rate 68 percent higher than their share of the county’s population. The response from sheriff ’s leadership since then: no response. No action. Sheriff ’s leadership must have honest dialogue with our communities that could lead to more equitable policing, better relations with communities of color and an increase in recruitment efforts. My 33 years of experience at all levels of the department gives me the experience to make the changes the department needs now.

Q: What are the three largest issues that contribute to the high number of San Diego County jail deaths and what would you do to address them? A: I cannot provide a constructive answer to this question because I don’t have access to all the data and reports that sheriff ’s leadership does. Even the February California state auditor’s report on San Diego jail deaths only provides a historical narrative on rates of jail deaths since 2006. While it offered many important observations, what it did not provide was a deep dive into the core fundamental underpinnings of the jail system: policies, process, people and place (technology and infrastructure).

The audit declared that the high rate of deaths in county jails suggests that underlying systemic issues with sheriff ’s leadership have undermined its ability to ensure the health and safety of the individuals in custody. If the department is using the state auditor’s report as a “road map,” as sheriff leadership has described it, it is seriously misguided as the auditor’s report only scratches the surface of what is really going on in our jails. As sheriff, I would implement a comprehensive review to get at the systemic problems that are at the root of the jail deaths.

For example, the last jail death involved an apparent fentanyl overdose. The question sheriff ’s leadership should be asking is, “How are the drugs getting in the jails?” As sheriff, I would immediately implement robust mental health screening at intake, create monitored drug dependency stepdown protocols, create robust and ongoing suicide prevention and monitoring processes, and implement quality assurance programs to measure and manage jail processes. I would encourage and participate in ongoing Community Oversight Boards

The makeup of the Sheriff’s Department should reflect the diversity of the communities it serves.

to ensure transparency.

Q: How would you rate the Sheriff ’s Department efforts at recruitment and retention? Do you think the staff reflects the diversity of San Diego County and how do you think it should change? A: I do not believe that sheriff ’s leadership is doing enough to recruit or retain staff. The results speak for themselves. The Sheriff ’s Department lost 457 deputies in the previous two fiscal years, while hiring only 355. A recent analysis in The San Diego Union-tribune suggested several possible reasons for these departures: 1) the perception that law enforcement is under attack due to growing public distrust; and 2) severe staffing shortages and low morale, leading to burnout. I get calls from deputies on a daily basis complaining that they are being required to work at least three overtime days a pay period. I would seek to bring salary and retirement benefits for all deputies into parity.

I believe the makeup of the Sheriff ’s Department should reflect the diversity of the communities it serves. Sheriff ’s leadership needs to do a much better job of diversifying its ranks, but also fostering inclusion and empowerment of minorities within the department. Right now, there is not even one African American female captain or above in a department of more than 4,000 people. We need to restore trust in the Sheriff ’s Department or no amount of compensation or benefits will attract or retain qualified minority deputies. I will also implement a mentoring program with the objective of diversifying the command staff. I will concentrate on recruiting from community college and university campuses, and at community-sponsored events.

Q: Department data has shown that San Diego County deputies are more likely to use force on people of color. What would you say to affected communities about this? What, if anything, would you do to address it? A: Between the 212 jail deaths and the department’s failure to even acknowledge its own data on racial disparities, I would be hard-pressed to say which has caused the most harm and damage to the community’s trust in the Sheriff ’s Department. In December 2020, the Center for Policing Equity issued a report commissioned by the Sheriff ’s Department which found that even after controlling for factors like poverty and crime, African American pedestrians were stopped by sheriff ’s deputies 3.5 times as often and were four times more likely to be subjected to force when compared to White pedestrians. To date, there have been no community forums, no outreach, no meaningful dialogue with communities of color, and no plans to do anything with the damning information contained in the report. To me, that’s a complete failure of leadership. As sheriff, I will insist on holding community town halls and listening to affected communities. I would analyze that data to determine if stops are actually deterring crimes. I will drill down on the data and determine when, against whom and why use of force is happening. I will use the same analytic tools to flag use of force incidents. I will ensure that all deputies continue to receive updated and ongoing cultural competency training.