R - Los Angeles County Sheriff Civilian Oversight Commission Ordinance

The purpose of this proposed measure is to enact an ordinance amending Title 3 of the Los Angeles County ("County") Code related to the Sheriff Civilian Oversight Commission ("Commission"). The measure proposes adding section 3.79.210, entitled Comprehensive Public Safety Reinvestment Plan, ("Plan") to reduce jail population and provide alternatives to incarceration by: Researching and developing the Plan within seven months of amending the County Code; Conducting a Feasibility Study ("Study") to timeline the plan to reduce jail population and strategy to re-invest jail system cost into prevention and mental health treatment; The measure requires the Committee in the Plan and Study to: Identify existing, proposed, and alternative options to arrest and incarceration for nonviolent crimes where mental health, substance abuse and chronic homelessness are issues; Examine feasibility of reinvesting funds directed to jail expansion towards: reducing jail population of mental health, drug dependent, chronically homeless individuals; holistic mental health treatment; expanding youth centers and programs; reducing recidivism; alternatives to custody through the Department of Public Health; and increased funding to the Office of Diversion and Re-entry; Calculate the projected reduction in jail population and cost savings from reforms, compared to current policy; Assess the jail population impact on bail reform for pre-arraignment/trial release; Compare costs and effectiveness of mental health treatment inside the jail with community based drug treatment; Investigate incarceration impacts on addressing addiction, education employment, and family/community connections versus the cost and effectiveness of community-based drug treatment; Identify infrastructure to implement the Plan, including housing, funding programs, training strategies and services to end recidivism. Identify systemic and systematic barriers and recommend ways to eliminate them by working with County departments; Recommend to the Board of Supervisors ("Board") directives to the Chief Administrative Officer, Executive Officer of the Board, and County Counsel for staffing and funding the Commission; The measure proposes amending section 3.79.030, entitled Duties, permitting the Commission to investigate using its own staff; The measure proposes amending section 3.79.130, entitled Use of the Office of Inspector General ("OIG") Staff for Investigative Purposes, permitting either OIG or the Commission to investigate, inquire, audit, and monitor, and allows the Commission to examine the OIG's management oF citizen and inmate complaints; The measure proposes amending section 3.79.190, entitled Obtaining Documents and Information, granting the Commission subpoena power for documents or witnesses and deleting provisions requiring the Commission to be bound by a Memorandum of Understanding with the Sheriff for access to records; The measure proposes that if another measure appears on the ballot addressing this subject in a conflicting way, and each measure receives a majority of votes, the measure with the highest affirmative vote shall prevail; The measure proposes if any provision or part of the measure is found unconstitutional or invalid, the invalidity shall not affect the remaining provisions or application, which could be implemented without the invalid part and it would be severable.