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Ken Norton interviews John Alden, Director of the Independent Office of Law Enforcement Review and Outreach (IOLERO) in Sonoma County. Norton introduces Alden’s extensive background in police accountability, including more than 16 years in civilian oversight, prior service as a supervising district attorney handling police misconduct cases, internal affairs experience, and board membership with the National Association for Civilian Oversight of Law Enforcement ( NACOLE,). Alden is a UC Berkeley graduate and former Sonoma County prosecutor.
Alden explains that IOLERO was created following community outrage over the 2013 killing of Andy Lopez by sheriff’s deputies. That incident led to the Calle Task Force and, in 2016, the establishment of IOLERO to provide independent oversight of the Sheriff’s Office. The office’s core purpose is to increase transparency, rebuild public trust, and promote accountability and reform. Alden emphasizes that oversight of an independently elected sheriff is relatively rare and more challenging than oversight of municipal police departments, which typically answer to city councils or mayors.
Public demand for stronger oversight culminated in the passage of Measure P in 2020, which significantly expanded IOLERO’s authority, including independent investigations and whistleblower protections. Alden describes Measure P’s overwhelming voter support as a clear mandate for transparency.
The interview highlights the role of the Community Advisory Council (CAC), an 11-member body appointed primarily by the Board of Supervisors that meets publicly, gathers community input, and advises the Sheriff’s Office on policy and practices. Alden notes the CAC’s accomplishments, including analysis of racial disparities in law enforcement stops, recommendations to diversify recruitment and retention, and reforms to the sheriff’s canine program that reduced injuries and county liability.
In the second half of the interview, Alden discusses IOLERO’s investigation into the shooting death of David Pelaez Chavez. Although criminal investigators found no crime, a civil case resulted in a settlement. Alden explains that neither IOLERO nor the Sheriff’s Office interviewed the deputies administratively because the sheriff declined to issue Garrity or Lybarger advisements after deputies invoked their Fifth Amendment rights, leaving IOLERO without legal recourse.
Alden concludes by discussing the personal demands of oversight work, IOLERO’s future priorities, strong community support, and the importance of public engagement through CAC meetings and strategic planning retreats to sustain accountability and trust. John Alden closes with these words to the community, “Change only happens at the speed of trust.”
A couple of thoughts: The push for law enforcement oversight goes back to (at least) the early 1990s. Mary Moore (Sonoma County Free Press) and many others, myself included, met for a number of years to organize and push civic leaders for this essential resource. Local power brokers won that battle, but not the war. We were thrilled to finally see the establishment of the Sonoma County INDEPENDENT OFFICE OF LAW ENFORCEMENT REVIEW AND OUTREACH [IOLERO] – even if it took decades and numerous questionable police actions to transpire beyond our work.
My last thought involves a question for Mr. Alden stemming from my family’s recent experience with law enforcement. Why are investigations of alleged law enforcement misconduct passed along to the agency employing the named officers? For us, it was no surprise to learn that our complaint went nowhere. I most sincerely hope our experience was an anomaly.