How to make Measure P work

A vigil was held for David Pelaez Chavez who was killed by a Sonoma County deputy sheriff. His brother said “We want them to tell us the truth.”  How do we get the truth?  

Measure P, the Evelyn Cheatham Effective IOLERO (Independent Office of Law Enforcement Review and Outreach) Ordinance was passed by 64.7% of the voters in 2020, so that we would always get the truth when one of us died at the hands of the sheriff’s office.

Measure P gives IOLERO the power to conduct an immediate and independent review in these cases. Measure P does not state that the sheriff’s office or its appointed organization complete its investigation first, then allow IOLERO to have information months later. 

Here is where we are today as a result of law enforcement unions challenging Measure P, for violating their right to collective bargaining.  The Public Employment Relations Board (PERB) ruled in their favor.  We convinced the Board of Supervisors (BOS) to appeal this ruling.  They did and the Court of Appeals found that PERB skipped the initial analysis of whether Measure P had a significant or adverse effect on the unions. 

We could then expect the unions to disagree and go to the State Supreme Court. But, at the very same point in time the BOS met with the unions and created letters of agreement or a memorandum of understanding (MOU) that took away the power of IOLERO to conduct an immediate and independent investigation in these cases. 

It also impacted the ability of IOLERO on whistleblower complaints and to keep their source confidential.  You may say, “Wow, this is totally unfair. How could this happen without community input?”  Technically this was a labor issue, so yes this is what we get.  With this MOU in place, the death of David Pelaez Chavez is being investigated by the Santa Rosa Police Department.  

What can we, the community do? How can we make sure that our voice and Measure P take precedence over those of law enforcement unions? How do we get the truth? 

There are two simple things we can do.  First, let’s beat the BOS over the head.  Letters, e-mails, speaking up at all BOS meetings during general comments.  We did it before to get Measure P on the ballot, we can do it again.  They need to go back to the table and change the MOU. IOLERO must be given the right to start an immediate and independent investigation where there is a death at the hands of the Sheriffs’ Office.  The BOS is supposed to represent us, not the Sheriff’s Office.

Second, be sure to attend the Community Advisory Council (CAC) meeting on September 12.  The CAC will be deciding whether to ask the State Attorney General to take over the investigation of the death of David Pelaez Chavez. Attend this meeting and give them our support to do so.  The CAC has already sent a letter to the BOS telling them they must go back to the table regarding the MOU.

Get out there and support the CAC’s actions. Get out there and tell the BOS and the State Attorney General that we want the truth.  Then and only then will the Sonoma County Sherriff’s Office face action in wrongful deaths.  Then and only then will the will of the voters be realized.