Riverside County's ad hoc committee on sheriff oversight will hold a public listening session from 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 13, in the Board Hearing Room of the County Administrative Center, 4080 Lemon St. in Riverside, according to county event listings. A second session is listed for 6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 22, at the Coachella Valley Water District's Steve Robbins Administration Building, 75515 Hovley Lane East in Palm Desert.
The county says the committee will collect feedback, review how other counties and cities perform law enforcement oversight, evaluate existing oversight capabilities and consider legal, financial and operational impacts. Its findings and recommendations are due back to the Board of Supervisors by the end of January 2027.
The Board of Supervisors created the committee July 14 by a 4-0 vote, with Supervisor absent, and named Supervisors and to it, the Press-Enterprise reported. Medina's office said the committee will seek input from residents, community organizations, public safety professionals, labor representatives, local government partners and subject matter experts.
The vote followed a civil grand jury report that urged the county to create an independent oversight body for the jail system, citing in-custody deaths and a lack of transparency, according to the Press-Enterprise. The grand jury estimated startup costs for a civilian oversight commission at $500,000 to $1.2 million, with annual operating costs of $2.5 million to $6.5 million. Deaths in county jails hit a 15-year high of 19 in 2022, the paper reported.
Medina had proposed a civilian oversight commission and an office of inspector general in July 2025, but the motion died without a second. Sheriff has called the grand jury's findings “completely flawed.”
Local
Chuck Washington
Supervisor, Third District, Riverside County Board of Supervisors
Named once in this story.
Portrait: County of Riverside / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)
Local
Jose Medina
Supervisor, First District, Riverside County Board of Supervisors
Named 3 times in this story.
Portrait: Riverside County Board of Supervisors / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)
Local
Karen Spiegel
Supervisor, Second District, Riverside County Board of Supervisors
Named once in this story.
Portrait: County of Riverside / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)
Local
Chad Bianco
Sheriff of Riverside County · Republican
Named once in this story.
Portrait: Riverside County Sheriff's Office / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)
Sources & methodology
This report was written from the primary materials below. Links open at the original publisher.
County of Riverside, Public Listening Session (Riverside, Oct. 13) County of Riverside, Public Listening Session (Palm Desert, Oct. 22) Supervisor Jose Medina, District 1 release (July 14, 2026) Press-Enterprise, Riverside County approves committee to evaluate civilian sheriff oversight (July 14, 2026)See something we should correct? Read our corrections policy.