04-12-14ActionUpdateSheriffsDebates

SheriffsDebates

Come out tomorrow and Monday for our next opportunity to push for change within the LA County Sheriffs’ Department.   

YOUTH JUSTICE COALITION

PRIORITY CHANGES FOR LA COUNTY SHERIFFS DEPARTMENT 

 
GANG DATABASE AND INJUNCTIONS
1.     Full implementation of SB458 – signed by Governor and became state law in January – guaranteeing all youth under 18 notification when they are put in the gang database; to notify their parents also; to guarantee the right to appeal; and uphold their right to be notified when they are removed.
2.     Declare a moratorium on new gang injunctions and work with DA to limit all current gang injunctions to no more than 2 additional years.
3.     Release data on stop and frisk – by race, age, gender, zip code and results – and address its overuse on youth of color.
 
USE OF FORCE / MISCONDUCT
1.     Appeal to State Attorney General, Kamala Harris, to appoint a Special Prosecutor to investigate and – if needed – prosecute officer-involved shootings, use of force and alleged charges of misconduct in LA County.
 
2.     Develop a community oversight commission with authority to investigate deputy involved shootings, accusations of misconduct and community complaints; determine discipline of deputies involved; and establish sheriffs’ policies in regards to use of force in order to establish and ensure independent investigation and discipline procedures and the establishment and implementation of new policies.
 
3.     Establish protocols for LA County Sheriffs’ statements to media prior to investigation into deputy-involved shootings that limit the comments to “the case is under investigation” in order to avoid the criminalization and labeling of any of individuals involved, and to ensure that community members receive the same consideration as law enforcement as to their innocence until such time that an investigation has been completed.
 
POSITIVE ALTERNATIVES FOR YOUTH
1.       Allocate 1% Sheriffs Department funding for LA for Youth Campaign – youth jobs, intervention workers, youth centers.  See 1% Campaign fact sheet attached.
2.       Reallocate all Sheriffs’ money for youth development to community based, owned and operated programs.
3.       End ticketing of youth for fare evasion – the #1 cause of youth citations in the county.  Push county to enact free Metro pass for all students pre-school through college.
 
ALTERNATIVES TO DETENTION AND INCARCERATION
1.       Moratorium on jail expansion.  Use savings for drug and mental health treatment options.
2.       Work with DA and Board of Supervisors to construct bail reform.  LA is far behind – people stay in jail only because they can’t make bail.
3.       End use of jail for technical probation violations (including AB109 flash incarceration).
4.       Use split sentencing to reduce AB109 custody.
5.       No jail for minor drug convictions, minor warrants and minor traffic infractions.
6.       Allocate at least ½ of AB 109 funds for community based, owned and operated alternatives to detention and incarceration.