The Marin County Board of Supervisors is moving diligently toward creating a citizen oversight commission for the Marin Sheriff’s Office.

The plan is to create a nine-person committee that will handle complaints and issues regarding the office’s performance.

A state law, enacted following national outcry over the 2020 killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police and racial profiling by law enforcement, set the stage for Marin to establish a panel citizens, including hiring staff for its role.

The selection of committee members by supervisors will be important. The committee should reflect reasonable diversity, representing different races, communities, ages and expertise.

The panel should also include members who not only have knowledge of the perceived and actual racial issues that minorities face when dealing with local law enforcement, but also those who have law enforcement experience .

This is the county’s stated objective. It won’t be easy.

A panel dominated by reformers or members who reflect little diversity will undermine the constructive goal of ensuring fair oversight. This is important both to those who see the need for greater oversight than that provided by supervisors, as well as those who support the continued work of the county police force.

It is also necessary to provide safeguards, such as avoiding parallel investigations (such as sheriff’s staff reviews and committee work, for example). The committee may ask the sheriff to review a policy, incident, or personnel matter, but it must first allow the sheriff to respond and complete his process. If the committee finds the sheriff’s findings insufficient, it should take action.

Supervisors should let the panel begin its work, allowing it to develop its agenda. They must also be vigilant in supervising its work and making necessary changes.

There will certainly be times when the sheriff feels like the commission is stepping on his toes, questioning the authority he elected to run his department.

The aim is to improve the ministry’s engagement with the public, building trust and accountability by answering questions about actions and policies. It should be an open and fair review.