The idea of citizen oversight of police agencies is still pretty foreign in Humboldt County. Recently the City of Eureka set up a oversight board with some teeth, but it’s having a hard time filling it up with people willing to serve.

Now, a Cal Poly Humboldt student research team is surveying locals about their thoughts about citizen oversight, and particularly about the possibility of a local Citizen Law Enforcement Review Board. They write:

Civilian oversight structures are used in nearby counties and nationwide, and serve as a way for communities to independently check police conduct. A Citizen Law Enforcement Review Board (or CLERB) could help to increase public confidence in local government and the accountability of law enforcement by conducting impartial and independent investigations of citizen complaints of misconduct concerning Sheriff’s Deputies, Police Officers, and Probation Officers employed by the County of Humboldt.

If you want a taste of what that looks like elsewhere, check out the San Diego County’s CLERB’s comprehensive FAQ at this link.

What do you think? Would you want to see something like that in Humboldt, or nah? The research team would love to hear from you. Check out their survey at this link.