The image of a sheriff instantly conjures up scenes from old Western movies: lone figures, often with handlebar mustaches, enforcing their own arbitrary justice in tense standoffs with outlaws in dusty towns. This outsized imagery in pop culture isn’t a total fabrication, though. County Sheriff’s Departments across the country wield more power and less oversight than their city police counterparts.
Forty states, including California, give voters the right to elect sheriffs in their state constitutions. In practice, however, sheriffs are often handpicked and face very little opposition at the ballot box and once in office. Sometimes they stay in power, unchallenged for years.
In San Diego, the County Board of Supervisors has limited ability to change sheriff policies or provide oversight compared to the city council, where the mayor appoints the police chief. Former Sheriff Bill Gore, who spent most of his career with the FBI, stayed in the role for 12 years despite high rates of misconduct within the department and alarming numbers of in-custody deaths.
Upon his retirement in 2022, Gore handpicked Kelly Martinez, the undersheriff, to take his place so that she could claim in that year’s election to already be running the department, boosting her profile. Sheriffs in San Diego typically serve four-year terms, but because of a change in state law – intended to align law enforcement elections with the presidential cycle – Martinez’s position is secured through 2028.
For years, the department has faced significant scrutiny concerning the treatment of individuals in the department’s custody. Weeks after Gore stepped down, a report by the California State Auditor in February 2022 highlighted several critical issues:
High In-Custody Death Rates: Between 2006 and 2020, 185 individuals died in San Diego County jails, marking one of the highest totals among California counties. This alarming statistic raised concerns about systemic deficiencies within the Sheriff’s Department. And anyone that has ever done more than a day in custody of the sheriffs in any detention facility knows, they treat us
sub human.Inadequate Medical and Mental Health Care: The audit identified failures in providing timely and adequate medical and mental health services. Alarmingly, some individuals with serious health needs were not properly identified during intake, leading to tragic outcomes. For example, one inmate urgently requested mental health services but did not receive timely care, resulting in suicide shortly after incarceration. Because if you’re going through mental health issues, those cell walls start talking to you. And usually what they say isn’t good.
Deficient Safety Checks: Deputies often performed inadequate safety checks, sometimes merely glancing into cells without thorough observation. In several cases, individuals were found deceased hours after ineffective checks, indicating a lack of diligence in monitoring inmate well-being.
Insufficient Oversight and Accountability: The Sheriff’s Department’s internal reviews of in-custody deaths were found to be lacking, often failing to implement meaningful corrective actions. Additionally, the Citizens’ Law Enforcement Review Board (CLERB), established to provide independent oversight, did not investigate nearly one-third of the deaths over a 15-year period, undermining public trust.
In response to these findings, the Sheriff’s Department has initiated reforms aimed at improving accountability and inmate safety. As of February 2025, Sheriff Kelly Martinez reported a 65% reduction in jail overdoses, attributing this improvement to new protocols and more rigorous safety checks. The department has also implemented multidisciplinary teams to conduct weekly evaluations of inmates, ensuring they receive necessary medical care and support.
But these claims that the department is turning around were undermined when the person leading investigations into in-custody jail deaths for the county Civilian Law Enforcement Review Board — a former police officer and coroner — resigned. Paul Parker complained on his way out in 2024, “There doesn’t seem to be a desire on the part of the county to fix things,” because the board can only make recommendations.
He proposed that the department hire an inspector general with subpoena power to investigate jail deaths. Otherwise, San Diego sheriffs, like others, would continue to police themselves.
Martinez knows that she’s free to do as she pleases. Recently, she refused to comply with a Board of Supervisors policy requiring that deputies seek a warrant before transferring someone into their custody to Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials. It aimed to limit the cooperation between local law enforcement and federal authorities. To which Martinez replied: “The Board of Supervisors does not set policy for the Sheriff’s Office.”
Naturally, problems persist — with deadly consequences. Last year, the county settled a wrongful death lawsuit filed by the son of a UCSD scientist who was showing signs of mental distress when deputies tried to serve her with an eviction notice. The $825,000 settlement was revealed through a CBS 8 public records request.
Furthermore, analyses by organizations like the Police Scorecard have revealed patterns of discriminatory policing practices within both the San Diego Police Department and the Sheriff’s Department. These findings underscore the need for continued reforms to address systemic issues related to accountability and equitable treatment.
So in general, while the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department has taken steps toward improving accountability and inmate safety, ongoing incidents and outside grassroots organizations, show that substantial work remains to address systemic challenges and restore public trust. In all reality, I don’t believe my community will ever trust law enforcement. In any realm they are viewed. We really need to re-imagine public safety!!