Report 2021-109 Recommendation 16 Responses

Report 2021-109: San Diego County Sheriff's Department: It Has Failed to Adequately Prevent and Respond to the Deaths of Individuals in Its Custody (Release Date: February 2022)

Recommendation #16 To: Citizens' Law Enforcement Review Board

To ensure its investigations are independent, timely, and thorough, CLERB should, by May 2022, create policies and procedures to require its investigators to finish casework on in-custody death investigations within three months of receiving the homicide investigation file. These policies and procedures should also require investigators to attempt to independently verify any information they receive from the Sheriff's Department, to thoroughly review deputy statements and reports from the homicide investigation file, and to request interviews with relevant detention staff and other witnesses in all instances in which they identify discrepancies or missing information.

60-Day Agency Response

On February 3, 2022, the EO incorporated all aspects of this recommendation into existing CLERB Policy #300.5, entitled, "Death Investigations."

California State Auditor's Assessment of 60-Day Status: Fully Implemented

CLERB provided an updated policy related to death investigations that includes the required elements from our recommendation.

All Recommendations in 2021-109

Agency responses received are posted verbatim.