Board Confirms Appointees to Panel for Monitoring Sheriff’s Department

The County Board of Supervisors confirmed the 11 nominees Tuesday to the newly created Citizens Law Enforcement Review Board, while rejecting appeals that the board be expanded to include members from several other community groups.

Speakers representing various organizations, including gays, lesbians and abortion foes, complained that they were not represented on the panel. Others complained about the absence of women, young people and residents from cities that contract with the county for police services and residents from unincorporated areas.

However, supervisors cited an urgency for the review panel to begin doing its job and voted unanimously to limit the board, at least for now, to 11 members.

Voters approved the county’s first civilian review board of its kind last November to monitor the Sheriff’s Department for misconduct.

“I think it’s significant that the board has stayed out of the nomination procedure,” Supervisor George Bailey said. “ . . . The worst possible thing we could do . . . is give in to politics and pressure groups.”

The 11 members were chosen by Chief Administrative Officer Norman Hickey from among 176 applicants. Hickey began soliciting applicants in March, when he notified 92 people who had expressed an interest in serving on the panel. In addition, Hickey wrote to 12 organizations representing various ethnic groups, urging their members to apply.

Bailey urged his colleagues to reject appeals to expand the review panel and “give this group a chance to do its job for San Diego County.” Supervisor Susan Golding concurred and spoke about the symbolic importance of approving the nominees so the review board can began operating.

Board Chairman John MacDonald said “adjustments” could be made later, and the board could be expanded if warranted by events.

But proponents of expanding the panel’s membership now were clearly disappointed by the supervisors’ action.

“I strongly urge you to appoint an openly gay or lesbian to the review board,” pleaded former FBI Agent Frank Buttino before the supervisors’ vote. “ . . . From my work with law enforcement agencies, I am aware that some members of the law enforcement community are prejudiced against homosexuals.”

Buttino, an acknowledged homosexual, was fired last year by the FBI.

Another speaker charged that Indian tribes were not contacted about nominating someone for the panel and implored the supervisors to expand the review board to include a tribal member.

“American Indians need a voice on this panel,” said the speaker.

James M. Rady, former Escondido mayor, is identified as an American Indian and is a review panel member. But some Indian leaders have complained that Rady does not represent a tribe.

ACLU Director Betty Wheeler complained that people living in cities that contract with the Sheriff’s Department and in unincorporated areas were left without representation on the review panel. She said residents living in these areas have more contact with deputies than residents represented on the board.

However, county officials said they selected a review group that adequately represents the county’s racial, sexual, geographic and socioeconomic diversity. The 11-member panel includes two blacks, two Latinos and a Filipino-American.