Marin Civilian Oversight Commission Debut

By MVFREE Police Team, September 2025 Newsletter

Years in the making, Marin County’s new Civilian Oversight Commission held its first public meeting on August 25 at the Marin Civic Center. The nine Commissioners appointed by the Board of Supervisors are tasked with  providing “transparent, respectful, just, and accountable oversight” of the Marin County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO).

The initial meeting addressed a range of organizational matters (introductions, leadership structure, meeting schedule, orientation topics, training, bylaws development, etc.), and broadly outlined the Commission’s anticipated substantive tasks including:

• Participate in the recruitment of an Inspector General (IG) (the Commission appointed a three member subcommittee to participate and report back to the full Commission),

• Develop a procedure for complaints against the MCSO to be filed with the Commission/IG (all complaints will still be investigated by the MCSO),

• Plan and implement transparent and effective community outreach and engagement, and

• Monitor MCSO compliance with “all applicable policies, procedures, training, practices, and governing laws.”

The Commission is expected to begin developing a work plan for fulfilling these and other responsibilities at its next regular meeting which is currently scheduled for Monday, September 15 at 6:00 p.m. The public is invited to attend in person (Room 330 at the Marin Civic Center) or by Zoom. Agendas can be found at this link when they become available.