LA County Board of Supervisors Weigh Options for Removing the Sheriff

LOS ANGELES —  Acting on a motion by Supervisors Mark Ridley-Thomas and Sheila Kuehl, the Board of Supervisors are seeking advice on legislative changes that would result in the sheriff being appointed rather than elected. The motion also inquires about ways to remove certain responsibilities from the Sheriff to mitigate damage to basic Department functions, and to curtail the Sheriff’s resistance to transparency and accountability.

“We have managed to inherit the worst Sheriff in recent memory, and he has set off what is as close to a constitutional crisis at the local level that we’ve ever seen,” Supervisor Ridley-Thomas said, noting recent scandals over fatal deputy shootings, secret societies, the rehiring of previously fired deputies, and a department budget in turmoil.

In their motion, Supervisors Ridley-Thomas and Kuehl noted the Board is ultimately responsible for setting policy and supervising the official conduct of county officers and employees, ensuring they discharge their duties faithfully. The Board’s authority to supervise elected officers like the Sheriff, however, is more limited, so they have to maneuver different ways to create checks and balances.

The motion noted the ongoing issues with the Sheriff are in contrast to the state of law enforcement at the City of Los Angeles, where the Chief of Police is appointed by the Mayor, subject to the approval of the Police Commission and City Council, all of whom provide robust oversight.