Transforming Law Enforcement Together
Independent-minded voters, resident oversight, and new community partnerships are needed to develop law enforcement that works for everyone.
I’m a proud Sonoma Countyan who grew up Black in Roseland. I belong to no party. My community work focuses on bringing people from different socio-economic and ideological divides together to create a better world for everyone. I am part of the millions of independent-minded people that created California's open primaries to ensure that all voters, not just a few, are treated as first-class citizens. To me, the June 7th election is at the heart of our democracy— a primary for all in which every vote counts: one person, one vote.
Our country is in a historic moment when we are working to improve how poor, Black and Brown people are treated, particularly by law enforcement. Unfortunately, current nationwide law enforcement standards do not offer “equal protections under the law”, which people around the country are clamoring for.
Sonoma County is poised to further advance our standards for Peace Officers. In 2015, the Independent Office of Law Enforcement Review and Outreach (IOLERO) was formed by the Sheriff and Board of Supervisors. In 2020, we voted to pass Measure P, which increases the scope of IOLERO to review and release our Sheriff’s camera footage. The Sheriff’s Union is currently fighting Measure P in court.
It’s easy to come up with stories as to why the Sheriffs have challenged Measure P. The question is: What can we do to create better law enforcement practices for everyone, officers and residents alike?
What We Can Do
From national outreach to independent voters (indys) done by myself and others at independentvoting.org, we learn that indys are deeply concerned about us-vs.-them/polarizing politics. And, we dislike important and difficult conversations being reduced to partisan political manipulations.
In response to the torture and execution of George Floyd, millions of Americans came together to demand the end to law enforcement’s participation in the killing of Black men, women and children.
In Sonoma County, our law enforcement is like others in the country. It is filled with people doing an impossible job in a culture that criminalizes homelessness and poverty, and justifies fear and winner-take-all mentalities. In such a culture, law enforcement can beat unarmed and already-secured men or shoot people carrying sticks, knives or toys with impunity. No one is “winning” and everyone—White, Indigenous, Black, Asian, Latino, and our Peace Officers— are paying a price.
The Sheriff’s Department can only evolve with the involvement of residents and voters..
Talk with one another, especially people not like you, about how you want Peace Officers to treat you and your neighbors.
As recommended by Peace Officers around the country, demand that our officers be provided with confidential emotional and mental support early and throughout their careers.
Create community cultural events that invite officers and residents to spend time with one another as neighbors—co-creating safe communities together.
For my own part, I’m voting for Carl Tennenbaum. He’s worked on Measure P and is a member of the Law Enforcement Action Partnership, and he will move us closer to law enforcement practices that work for everyone in Sonoma County.
Regardless of who’s elected, independent and independent-minded voters have a vital role to play in advancing the quality of life for our communities and peace officers.
Dr. Raquell Holmes leads independent conversations on race and class at improvscience.com