In what may be the electoral equivalent of the street protests we saw over the summer, the Bay Area's three biggest cities all look to be passing measures that increase oversight of law enforcement.
In Oakland, voters agreed to create a new independent Office of the Inspector General, which would review cases of police misconduct and report to the Police Commission and Oakland City Council. It would also oversee compliance according to a previous federal settlement.
In San Francisco, voters are backing independent oversight of the sheriff’s department with its own Inspector General office and oversight committee. In San Jose, Measure G expands the authority of its Independent Police Auditor. In Sonoma County, Measure P gives more power and money to the office that oversees the sheriff’s department.
"(These are) clear demands of all young people, not just Blacks." said James Taylor, University of San Francisco political science professor.
But is another layer of bureaucracy going to increase accountability and transparency?
Taylor said that’s what the summer protests over the deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor were all about.
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