A San Mateo County civilian advisory commission formed to facilitate public transparency and accountability in the sheriff’s office voted unanimously on April 2 to recommend that the board of supervisors create a permanent independent inspector general with subpoena power — the ability to compel individuals to testify or produce documents and evidence, to oversee the Sheriff’s Department.
The move comes amid the board’s effort to oust Sheriff Christina Corpus after a damning, 400-page investigation into alleged misconduct of the county’s top cop.
The San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office appointed seven members to the Independent Civilian Advisory Commission on the Sheriff’s Office in July 2024. The commission makes recommendations to the board and develops and implements an annual work plan approved by the county’s executive office.
Grassroots organization Fixin’ San Mateo County has long called for such a role in a full-time capacity instead of calling for one during an incident. Fixin’ formed in 2021 to nudge the community and officials to create a civilian oversight board to help the Sheriff’s Office with policies.
“On behalf of Fixin,’ I am very pleased and thank all of the ICAC members for their vote of support for a permanent (inspector general) for San Mateo County,” said Fixin’ San Mateo County Board Chair Jim Lawrence in a prepared statement, adding he’s hopeful the board will implement the recommendation. “This action demonstrates they, too, believe we need to strengthen public safety by adding this guardrail to the governance structure for our Sheriff’s Office.”
Nancy Goodban of Fixin’ told the commission the role could help the county avoid future lawsuits like the ones it faces regarding Corpus’ conduct.
In response to the advisory commission’s recommendation to the board, a spokesperson for the sheriff’s office said it “remains unclear what role an inspector general would play in the operations of the sheriff’s office.”
“Ultimately, this is a board of supervisors decision, and while we would refer to them, said Gretchen Spiker, director of communications for the Sheriff’s Office, “the Sheriff’s Office looks forward to weighing in on this matter at the appropriate time.”
Paul Bocanegra, a Redwood City resident who was sentenced to life in prison without parole for a crime he said he did not commit, noted during the meeting that the county’s residents in March voted “overwhelmingly” (84%) in support of a measure that would amend, the charter, giving the board temporary authority to remove the sheriff.
“I think that this recommendation would send a clear message from the community … that we seek change, that we seek safety, that we seek stability and seek security here in this county,” said Bocanegra, who ran for a seat on the Board of Supervisors in 2024. “We think this extra layer would help to protect the community and its deputies from further chaos.”
Trina Patton, a Belmont resident and activist and member of Fixin’, told commissioners that an inspector general will allow the public to have a more significant role in the oversight of the Sheriff’s Office. She noted that when officers complained about the office action was taken, but not much was done when citizens brought up concerns about treatment within prisons and other issues.
Other speakers asked the commission to consider recommending the county hire an ombudsman to review the actions of the Sheriff’s Office. They referenced how Ombudsman Services of San Mateo County provides on-site monitoring and complaint investigation and resolution services to residents of long-term care facilities in the county. The county is paying $150,000 for such services from February 2025 to February 2026.
Santa Clara County’s oversight program includes a full-time inspector general who works on changing policies and increasing training.
Santa Cruz County established an Office of Inspector General in 2023. The office “provides law enforcement services in the unincorporated county and is responsible for the security and welfare of incarcerated individuals, is transparent and accountable to all residents of the county, according to its website.
The civilian advisory commission is made up of Michael Fisher, a Senior Director at Google and previously worked in law enforcement; Bill McClure, Menlo Park’s longtime former city attorney; Shirley Melnicoe, the first county reentry coordinator for incarcerated people upon release from prison; Kalimah Salahuddin, a DEI community program manager; Rob Silano, a Menlo Park Fire Protection District and board member James Simmons, a program manager at HIP Housing.
Board President Dave Canepa did not respond to a question from this news organization about when the recommendation might come to the board.
Watch a video of the meeting here: