Palm Springs Advisors OK Sheriff Investigation

Sheriff Bianco and his department investigation receives support from Palm Springs advisers

PALM SPRINGS – All you need now is a postage stamp and / or a “Send” button and a blistered letter from Palm Springs City Council will be sent to California Attorney General Rob Bonta. The letter supports the American Civil Liberties Union’s request for a formal investigation into Sheriff Chad Bianco and the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department.

It was part of the city council’s approval agenda. None of the councilors withdrew it for a separate discussion. A consent diary brings together the non-controversial elements of routine, procedure, information, and self-explanation that are typically found in a diary.

The city’s letter appears to have taken root on September 16. It was at this point that the ACLU submitted a letter to the Attorney General’s office outlining several of his concerns with Bianco and the operation of the Sheriff’s Department during his tenure. This is Bianco’s first term.

To build on the ACLU letter, Mayor Christy Holstege, who called for Bianco’s resignation, asked city council to send a letter of support. She took a bit of heat on social media.

“Why she is so worried (sic) about the sheriff, he has no control over our city,” David Hoffman wrote on social media. “It’s a smokescreen for his run for state assembly.” Holstege has announced his candidacy for the National Assembly.

Susan Smith Cogliano wrote: “… Can Holstege better focus on the criminal situations in the city of Palm Springs, eliminate the shenanigans ?! Useless witch hunt, waste of money, time.

Matthew Batista Naylor wrote: “The Council should also resign. “

The Board was also praised for its courage and conviction in holding Bianco accountable.

Concerns detailed in the ACLU letter include a failure to adequately protect detainees from COVID-19 and high rates of other deaths in custody and fatal shootings by lawmakers, with people of color disproportionately susceptible to be slaughtered by deputies. As of October 25, there have been 1,102 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and two confirmed deaths from the virus in Riverside County jails.

According to police dashboard data cited in the letter, blacks were 1.6 times more likely than whites to be killed by police in Riverside County between 2013 and 2020.

The letter also states that the department has repeatedly rejected recommendations made by the Riverside County Civilian Grand Jury on how to improve prison operations and that the California Board of State and Community Corrections has failed to investigate how. report on abuses in Riverside County jails.

“For years, this department has demonstrated a pattern of racist police practices, rampant patrols and prison deaths, and a refusal to comply with the recommendations of monitoring agencies and a court-mandated consent decree,” said a section of the ACLU letter. “The residents of Riverside County, especially residents of color and low-income residents, have suffered tremendously. “

The letter is also signed by 31 other organizations, including Starting Over Inc. and Riverside All Of Us Or None, two groups focused on helping those currently and formerly incarcerated in Riverside County. Each group focuses on assisting those incarcerated – current and former – detained in Riverside County.

The city’s letter raises several other concerns, including Bianco’s purchase in 2014 of a one-year Oath Keepers membership. According to its website, Oath Keepers is a non-partisan association of current and former military, police and first responders who are committed to upholding the oath that all military and police take to “defend the Constitution against all enemies.” , foreigners and nationals ”.

“I think it’s unfortunately politics as usual with a lot of hypocrisy. They kind of mean that I was responsible (for) – or participated in – on January 6, ”Bianco told Uken Report in a previous interview. “I spoke out against what happened as all law enforcement agencies should. 2014 is not 2021.

According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, “The Oath Keepers, which claims tens of thousands of law enforcement officials and veterans as members, is one of the largest far-right anti-government groups in the United States today. ‘hui. militia which encourages its members not to enforce laws which they believe violate the constitution.

The letter from the city also mentions what it describes as the refusal of the sheriff’s office to implement public health warrants. In December 2020, Bianco posted a video criticizing Gov. Gavin Newsom, saying the department would not be “blackmailed” to enforce pending stay-at-home orders.

“Bianco’s declaration and his choice of application have communicated to the public that he will himself choose the laws to be applied according to his own convictions,” the draft letter said.

Law enforcement in Palm Springs is managed by the Palm Springs Police Department, not the Sheriff’s Department. The city letter maintains, however, that the conduct of the sheriff’s department has a significant impact on city residents.

“Our constituents are directly affected by the conduct of RSD, which affects not only residents of cities and jurisdictions directly served by RSD (i.e. crossing fluid regional jurisdictional boundaries multiple times a day.

The sheriff’s department also manages all of the county jails.