Half a dozen ballot measures addressing law enforcement oversight from Sonoma County, San Francisco, Oakland, Berkeley and San Jose all had huge leads as of late Tuesday night.
Over 67% of votes counted in San Francisco were in favor of Proposition D, which creates an independent oversight board and inspector general for the Sheriffâs Department.
San Francisco voters were also heavily in favor of scrapping a minimum staffing requirement for the cityâs police department â with more than 70% of ballots counted cast in favor of Proposition E.
Voters in favor of strengthening oversight of the Oakland Police Department outnumbered those in opposition, with over 80% of ballots in favor of Measure S1. It will allow the Oakland Police Commission and Community Police Review Agency to hire independent attorneys. Passage of Measure S1 also creates an Office of the Inspector General independent of the Police Department, which would oversee OPDâs compliance with long-running federal court oversight.
Berkeley looks to be on track to reinvent its police oversight structure over the next year, with votes in support of Measure II outnumbering those opposed 5-to-1. The measure creates a Police Accountability Board with investigative authority and subpoena power, and institutes a lower standard of proof for sustaining complaints against officers.
Sonoma County voters looked to be passing Measure P with 66% in support late Tuesday night, despite strong opposition from the sheriff and deputiesâ union. The measure aims to boost funding and authority for the countyâs Independent Office of Law Enforcement Outreach. It would require cooperation with independent investigations and ties the oversight officeâs budget to 1% of the sheriffâs funding level.
Votes in San Jose were in favor of Measure G by a 4-to-1 margin. Among other aspects unrelated to policing, the measure boosts the Independent Police Auditorâs access to internal police investigations and evidence.
Copyright 2020 KQED