Santa Cruz County Sheriff Needs Independent Oversight

By LEE BROKAW, PETER GELBLUM AND JONATHAN GETTLEMAN

In January 2022, the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors recognized the need for independent oversight of the Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Office(SO). The SO is enormously powerful, has vast responsibilities, and consumes about a quarter of the County's entire budget.  

AB1185 became law in California on January 1, 2021. It authorized and encouraged California counties to create independent sheriff oversight bodies with subpoena power to oversee sheriff’s departments. 

The California Assembly Committee wrote in its Public Oversight Legislative Summary, “County sheriffs’ offices are vested with substantial authority over Californians, including the powers to detain, search, arrest, and use deadly force. They are also responsible for the welfare of the more than 75,000 incarcerated individuals in California’s jail system. The misuse of such authority can result in constitutional violations as well as harm to public safety and trust. Meaningful independent oversight and monitoring of sheriffs’ departments can increase government accountability and transparency, enhance public safety, and build community trust in law enforcement. Meaningful oversight requires some amount of authority over the sheriffs’ offices and the independence to conduct credible and thorough investigations.”

In June 2021, the Santa Cruz Grand Jury stated in the summary of its report that, “A number of events over the past four years illustrate that “we have a problem.” They include inmate deaths, violence, and equipment failures at the Main Jail and criminal conduct including sexual assaults by correction officers. These events may seem unrelated, but they are connected. This report examines the operation of the Main Jail, matters affecting the nature of the inmate population, the specific events in question, and staffing and budget issues. In the end it comes down to issues of management, having enough resources, and a need for more effective oversight and public transparency.” 

As its first recommendation, the 2021 Grand Jury wrote, “R1. Within six months the Board of Supervisors should either establish a Sheriff Oversight Board or Inspector General as provided in Government Code 25303.7, or alternatively place the issue before the voters in the county. (F1–F9)”

The Grand Jury specifically found that neither the Grand Jury, nor the Board of Supervisors are capable of conducting effective oversight based on both the historical record and the structures of those bodies. This fact was recently confirmed by the Santa Cruz County Criminal Justice Report 2021, co-chaired by the Board of Supervisors and the Santa Cruz City Council. It found on page six of the report that the Sheriff’s Office does not “have any type of independent oversight.”  

The Santa Cruz Mental Health Advisory Board (MHAB) has told the BofS that it supports independent sheriff’s oversight. MHAB wrote: "Persons with mental health challenges make up a considerable population of inmates in the Santa Cruz County Jail. MHAB's 2018-2019 report found that the Santa Cruz County jail is one of the County’s biggest mental health treatment centers. Considering their mental health challenges, these inmates require increased levels of care and oversight. This is especially true since all of the mental health care in the county jail has recently been contracted out to Wellpath, LLC, a private company that has a troubling history of litigation against it for inadequate correctional healthcare. The Grand Jury has in previous reports been particularly critical of the care provided by its sister company California Forensic Medical Group, that has recently been subsumed into Wellpath, LLC. and has provided health care in the jail for years.  

More than anything, the citizens of Santa Cruz require openness, relevant data, transparency and accountability when it comes to health and safety issues in the jail such as those raised in the 2021 Grand Jury report. MHAB’s 2018-2019 report found that, “One concern the committee regularly received from families of inmates in the Santa Cruz County Jail system centered around a common difficulty of finding clear and up to date information about many of the Jail’s programs, services, and resources—including commissary, telephone calls, visitation, court protocol, mail, inmate rules and regulations, tablet computers, grievance reports, and medical requests.” Additional information provided to families of incarcerated persons with mental health challenges should also include housing conditions such as hours per day persons with mental health challenges are held in solitary confinement, access to medication and access to mental health personnel, including crisis assistance. Recent public reporting of deaths, suicides, and serious injuries of persons with mental health challenges in the jail highlight this need for robust independent oversight."  

To date, the BofS has authorized the creation of only an inspector general program. AB 1185 also authorizes the creation of an oversight board composed of civilians. We believe it is crucial to create both a civilian oversight board and an inspector general's office that would work with the civilian board - or to create only a civilian oversight board instead of an inspector general or single auditor. This is important for several reasons, including:

• Community participation is necessary to give the oversight structure legitimacy in the eyes of the public.
• Direct involvement of diverse community members is vital to providing the oversight board, the BofS, and the SO diverse viewpoints on the actions of the SO.
• Only a civilian board can hold public hearings to provide the necessary transparency to the work of the oversight structure.

The BofS should direct staff to develop a scope of work and issue a request for proposal,  RFP, that includes a civilian oversight board. At a minimum, staff should solicit input from a broad range of the community and stakeholders in deciding which type of 1185 oversight structure the BofS should adopt. We are delighted that County staff agrees with the latter point, and will be holding several community meetings to solicit input on this topic. 

The first community forum will be held August 30 from 6-9 pm. It will be a hybrid meeting. People can attend in person at the Board of Supervisors Chambers, 701 Ocean Street, Room 500, or via zoom at https://us06web.zoom.us/j/82130918398.

By STEVEN DECINZO

Santa Cruz Mayor & Council Candidates Forum Open to Public

By JEFFREY SMEDBERG – SANTA CRUZ FOR BERNIE

On Aug. 26, 6 pm, Santa Cruz for Bernie and the People's Democratic Club are holding a forum so voters can get to know candidates for Santa Cruz Mayor and City Council Districts 4 & 6 in the November 8, 2022 Election. The public is welcome to attend the forum. Following the public forum, sponsoring groups will consider endorsement of candidates.

Fri., Aug 26, 6pm - Register for this Zoom Meeting After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing a link to join the Zoom meeting.

For audiences across the country and around the world, for a limited time, watch "Back to the Way Things Were," The San Francisco Mime Troupe’s latest production, on Vimeo for a limited time, now through Sept 5 (11:59pm PDT)

BACK TO THE WAY THINGS WERE 

(also still performing in Bay Area parks through Sept 5)

In cooperation with Actor’s Equity Association the Mime Troupe is bringing our current critically-acclaimed original play to the widest possible audiences.

Visit VIMEO to watch FREE until Sept 5!

Using promo code: powertothepeople

Tip - after selecting "rent", enter promo code before entering your personal info. Then you will get an email with a link to the video.



Please donate $20 if you can. SF Mime Troupe is a 501c3 nonprofit organization, tax ID 94-1602975. All contributions are tax-deductible to the extent allowable by law.

We also accept checks made out to SFMT. (And we get your full donation, no third party charges when you send a check!) 

Mail to: 855 Treat Ave, SF, CA 94110

Rail Art - A boxcar is plastered with graffiti at the Pajaro rail yard. Freight trains move through the yard picking up and dropping off cars. 

Photo by TARMO HANNULA

A swarm of elegant terns launch from a sandbar in Elkhorn Slough at Moss Landing.

Santa Cruz County Covid-19 Report 

By SARAH RINGLER

The Santa Cruz County Health Department regularly releases data on the current status of Covid-19 in the county and on the soon to be renamed monkeypox.

The department is monitoring for monkeypox viral DNA in wastewater solids. The heatmaps and charts display data from WastewaterSCAN’s monitoring for monkeypox viral DNA; the results shown include the northern California communities served by the Sewer Coronavirus Alert Network (SCAN) and the communities in California and across the US participating in WastewaterSCAN.

Because of the availability of home testing, I will no longer report on changes in the active cases in the county. The Health Department is now collecting data from wastewater at the City Influent for the city of Santa Cruz, and from the Lode Street pump stations for the county. See webpage HERE. The first chart below shows the county data.

There were no new Covid deaths this week. Click to view a graph of hospitalizations here.



I will no longer be reporting on vaccinations because two boosters, with probably more on the way, are not factored into the the county's vaccination data. Besides, there has been little change in the last seven months. Here are more details on the county's vaccination data. 

This webpage also has a link where you can get a digital copy and scannable QR code of your vaccination record. Keep track of your four-digit code because that is your access to the site. This information is still being requested as it was last Saturday at Cabrillo College's Crocker Theater. The play, "Candide" was spectacular.

The county's Effective Reproductive Number is now below one. See the second chart below. Numbers above one show the spread of the virus is increasing. Below one means the spread is decreasing. The chart, released from the California Department of Public Health below shows several predictions from different agencies. For information, click here.

The government has issued three rounds of four free Antigen Rapid Tests here. If you have not ordered tests or have only ordered one set, you are entitled to a full 12 boxes. Order now while supplies last. To get information of COVID-19 testing locations around the county visit this site. You can make an appointment for a Rapid Antigen Test here.

Any Californian, ages six months and older can get vaccinated for free. For information on getting vaccinated, click here.

Photo by TARMO HANNULA

Fashion Street - Another photograph from this year's Spirit Watsonville Fourth of July Parade downtown.

Labor History Calendar Aug. 26- Sept. 1, 2022

a.k.a Know Your History Lest You Forget

Aug. 26, 1919: UMW organizer Fannie Sellins gunned down by company guards, Brackenridge, Pennsylvania.

Aug. 26, 1970: Alice Doesn't Day: US and French women demonstrate for equal pay, reproductive freedom and an end to domestic violence.

Aug. 27, 1950: Truman seizes railroads to block strike.

Aug. 28, 1968: Black bus drivers wildcat strike against racist union and management in Chicago.

Aug. 28, 1995: Boise, Idaho construction workers "wobble" jobs: several IWWs backlisted. 

Aug. 29, 2009: 3,000 garment workers end two-day strike against wage cuts in Cambodia.

Aug. 29, 2013: Strikes across US continue by fast food workers fighting for a living wage.

Aug. 30, 1834: National Trades Union founded to unite US craft unions in fight against economic inequality.

Aug. 31, 1942: General Strike begins against annexation of Luxembourg into Nazi Germany, conscription. 

Aug. 31, 1946: 79-day strike begins, breaking power of Hawaii sugar plantations.

Aug. 31, 1992, South Africa gov't outlaws national metalworkers' strike.

Sept. 1, 1903: 30,000 women from 26 trades march in Chicago Labor Day Parade. 

Sept. 1, 1920: 500,000 Italian metal workers occupy their factories. 

Labor History Calendar has been published yearly by the Hungarian Literature Fund since 1985.

“There’s a direct relationship between the

breadbox and the ballot box, and what

the union fights for and wins at the bargaining table can be taken away in the legislative halls.

September 1, 1907 - Walter Reuther, president of the United Auto Workers from 1946 until his death in 1970, was born. President of the Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO) prior to its merger with the American Federation of Labor (AFL), Reuther was an ardent advocate of political action.

Photo by TARMO HANNULA

Make Cookies with the Kids  

By SARAH RINGLER

This cookie recipe came from “The Finnish Cookbook,” by Beatrice A. Ojakangas. There are no pictures in the book so I had no idea what they would look like. I was pleasantly surprised by how easy they came together and with the flavor - a thin layer of sugar encrusted with almond bits cover a shortbread kind of cookie. With an odd spelling, Ojakangas prefaces the recipe with this quote, “These rich, melt-in-your-mouth cooky sticks with an almond coating are made from one of the oldest Finnish cooky recipes.”

The recipe makes six dozen so if you would like to make less, cut the recipe in half. A single egg can be easily halved by beating it first and then dividing the liquid in half. 

This is good recipe to make with children. More than most recipes, this one requires very clean hands so it’s a good first step for them to learn. After you make the dough, you will shape it into one or more long, thin snakes that will be cut into smaller bite sized logs. The next part is messy and involves dipping the little logs into three bowls of eggs, sugar and finally, nuts. 

I have taught cooking to classes of elementary and middle school kids. It was very gratifying. The right recipes have to be easy enough and age appropriate. This recipe would work best for kids who are around eight-years old - with supervision of course. 

And, don’t forget to include them in the clean-up. This was always a challenge with some middle schoolers who would try to avoid this part by running out the door when the bell rang. Pajaro Middle School has a real cooking classroom with five full kitchens with sinks, counters and cupboards. Occasionally a bad smell would emanate from one of the kitchens to reveal an unwashed measuring cup or wooden spoon.  

Suomalaiset puikot, Finnish Cooky Sticks

1 cup butter, room temperature

½ cup sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon almond extract

Dash salt

3 cups sifted flour

Coating:

1 egg beaten

2 cups sugar more or less

½ cup finely chopped almonds

Finely chop almonds into feathery bits. 

Cream room temperature butter and sugar until well fluffy. Add the egg, almond extract and salt. Mix well. Add the flour and mix until smooth. You may need to knead the dough with your hands. When the dough is smooth, roll into long rolls about a ½ inch in diameter or a little larger. Cut into 2 ½ inch lengths. 

Get out 3 small bowls and put beaten egg in one, sugar in another and chopped almonds in the third. 

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Butter a cookie tin. Take a few lengths at a time and cover with the egg, then the sugar and then the almonds. Lay them out on the cookie tin in rows. They don’t expand much so they can be close together. I baked over 3 dozen on one pan. 

Bake for 8 minutes until just barely golden on the bottom.