Residents Push for a Sheriff Oversight Board Ballot Measure in Humboldt County

Caroline Griffith

A group of Humboldt County residents is lobbying for a ballot measure that would create a “sheriff’s policy and practice board” to review and advise on policing issues.

During the open public comment period of the March 24 Board of Supervisors meeting, several residents asked that a proposed voter-approved ordinance creating the new policing advisory board be discussed on a future agenda.

Caroline Griffith, the former executive director of the North Coast Environmental Center, noted a 2024 county Grand Jury report’s recommended creation of a county civilian oversight board and an Inspector General’s Office to review “critical incidents” involving the Sheriff’s Office.

“As the Grand Jury report states, Humboldt County does not have an adequate means for independent review of the Sheriff’s Office – all review from citizen complaints to critical incidents is internal to law enforcement organizations,” she continued. “The residents of Humboldt County deserve professional monitoring and accountability of their public agencies, especially the powerful and influential Sheriff’s Office.”

Saying she was speaking “on behalf of a group of Humboldt County residents who agrees with this (Grand Jury) report,” Griffith gave the board clerk copies of a proposed ballot measure for supervisors to consider.

She asked supervisors to agendize approval of the proposed measure for the November election.

Cal Poly Humboldt masters degree social work student Amy Scott said she was “shocked to learn that the county doesn’t have an oversight board already” and the time is right for creating one.

“While our sheriff’s office can no way be compared to what we’re seeing with the police brutality with ICE agents, I think it’s important to recognize that a lot of people just see police as police,” she continued. “And so any place where we can increase transparency and increase community participation in these types of engagements is really a great opportunity for us to feel more connected as a community.”

Other speakers included Sierra Braggs, who works with “people with intellectual and developmental disabilities including people on the autism spectrum” who are “terrified of encounters with law enforcement because any time that they deviate from what is prescribed, literally their life is in jeopardy.”

She said an oversight board would be helpful in reviewing Sheriff’s Office policies and training requirements.

A speaker who described herself as “somebody who has been personally affected by police violence and brutality” said an oversight board would enhance “transparency and accountability.”

Eureka’s Community Oversight on Police Practices Board has been in place since 2022 and City Councilmember Leslie Castellano described it as a success.

“This has brought greater transparency as well as public engagement and public trust of law enforcement and I think that’s something we can all get behind,” she said. “Trust is meaningful and requires community engagement and opportunities for serious public discourse – a ballot initiative would do just that and generally bring greater professionalism.”

Castellano added, “This is the way that law enforcement is moving.”

Board Chair Mike Wilson said he wanted to “set expectations” on supervisors’ responses, saying open public comment periods aren’t for “back and forth” exchanges. As such, supervisors didn’t respond to what was said.

But they did talk about it in 2024, following the release of the Grand Jury report.

At an August 2024 supervisors meeting, County Sheriff Billy Honsal questioned the need and benefits of a public oversight board, saying oversight is already provided through the state Department of Justice, the county District Attorney’s Office and the Board of Supervisors itself.

A few months later, in October 2024, supervisors took more defined stances as Honsal’s preferred oversight option — formation of an “advisory council” with limited public involvement — was discussed.

Supervisor Natalie Arroyo had said the proposed advisory council is “not the same thing as what the Grand Jury recommended” and Supervisor Steve Madrone said “it won’t satisfy myself or the public in terms of wanting to have a deeper oversight into critical incidents so we can learn from them and improve.”

Supervisor Rex Bohn, who was not at this week’s meeting due to being in Sacramento, backed up Honsal and warned of costs.

He had said Eureka’s oversight board “does pretty well,” adding, “I saw their consultant said, ‘We’re doing a really great job – hire us for another year.’”

The financial impacts of following the Grand Jury’s recommendation to create an Inspector General’s Office were summarized in the October 2024 meeting’s written staff report.

According to the staff report, there will be “significant financial impacts to establishing and staffing” an Inspector General’s Office.