IOLERO (pdf)
DownloadCounty of Sonoma Independent Office of Law Enforcement Review and Outreach (IOLERO)
IOLERO was established by the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors (BOS) in September 2015, following a two-year study by a BOS-appointed commission (CALLE), as a result of the tragic shooting death in 2013 of a 13-year-old boy, Andy Lopez, by a Sheriff’s Deputy. The BOS mandated IOLERO and its Director to conduct independent review of Sheriff’s Office investigations alleging law enforcement misconduct, including excessive use of force, and to engage the community in the review and possible recommendation of policy changes of the Sheriff’s Office. The current Director of IOLERO is Karlene Navarro.
IOLERO Current news:
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IOLERO’s e-newsletter: Sign up for by clicking on the IOLERO link, below.
IOLERO Community Advisory Council (CAC)
The CAC, whose nine members are appointed by the IOLERO Director from the five County Supervisorial Districts, assists IOLERO in functioning as a bridge between the communities in Sonoma County and the Sheriff’s Office. A key function of the CAC is to hold public meetings and make recommendations on Sheriff’s Office policies such as use of deadly force, community-oriented policing, and other significant policies.
Current news:
In the March 2 CAC meeting in Healdsburg, to continue orienting the new members, Director Navarro made a very informative 40-slide presentation on the history of civilian oversight bodies in California, the history of IOLERO, past recommendations by the CAC, and the current status of IOLERO and its audits.
(A link to the the PowerPoint presentation has been requested the from the IOLERO office)
The next meeting of the CAC (Community Advisory Council) will be on Monday, April 6 in the Dining Room of the Sonoma Veterans Memorial Building, 126 First Street West, Sonoma. No agenda yet.
Links for all references:
County of Sonoma Independent Office of Law Enforcement Review and Outreach (IOLERO) https://sonomacounty.ca.gov/IOLERO
Community Advisory Council: https://sonomacounty.ca.gov/Community-Advisory-Council/
The ACLU Sonoma County Chapter strongly supports the mandate of IOLERO to conduct independent audits of the Sheriff’s Office conduct to ensure that civil rights and liberties are not being violated.
We have actively participated in the CAC’s review and recommendations on the Sheriff’s Office Use of Force Policy and Use of Surveillance (drones and other technical surveillance equipment). ACLU Board Members attend each CAC meeting to continually monitor the information given by the Sheriff’s Office and feedback from the public. ACLU Board Members have also met with Director Karlene Navarro to establish an on-going relationship between the organizations. We have provided strong support for IOLERO funding at the BOS.
If you would like any more information on the above-mentioned topics, or would like to participate, as an ACLU member, in our liaison efforts with IOLERO and CAC, please contact us at: info@sonomaaclu.org.
Page last updated: March 6, 2020