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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 28, 2025
Statement from County Counsel Regarding the
Civilian Oversight Commission
The Civilian Oversight Commission, mandated by the Board of Supervisors to improve public transparency and accountability for the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, seems to have lost its focus. We fully support its efforts to seek the information it needs to play a powerful oversight role on behalf of LA County citizens, but we cannot support the grandstanding and divisiveness now on display.
The dispute comes down to a simple fact: the COC--like every other advisory commission created by the Board of Supervisors and all County departments--is not allowed to act independently of the Board of Supervisors. It is the Office of County Counsel’s job to help all commissions and departments navigate federal, state, and local regulations to ensure their actions are consistent and in alignment with the policy and legal direction from the Board of Supervisors. This is exactly what the Office of County Counsel has done for the COC.
The COC believes its work would be more effective if it were an independent commission and has voted to amend its ordinance to make itself more independent. However, under the current law, it is not independent but advisory. Therefore, just like all the other 200-plus commissions in the County, if the commissioners wish to seek the approval of the Board of Supervisors on any of their requested actions, they simply need to utilize their Executive Director and assigned County staff to accomplish this task. As for the amicus brief itself, there are other simple solutions, all of which the COC, unfortunately, has declined to pursue. If they are not interested in seeking the Board’s approval, Mr. Kennedy and Mr. Bonner can resubmit their brief filing in their individual capacities, for example. The commission’s wish for the Board to reject Sean Kennedy’s resignation could also have taken a simpler route—no press release is required, a simple letter would do.
Contact: Office of County Counsel, Contact_Us@counsel.lacounty.gov
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