Our Community Speaks: Final Report Released
Over the past few months, we spoke with more than 7,500 Riverside County residents about sheriff accountability and oversight. Members of our community who opened their doors and answered our calls. Neighbors who shared their concerns about in-custody deaths and the sheriff-coroner structure. What we heard was clear: the community wants oversight, transparency, and accountability.
We invite you to read, reflect, and share. Because what happens in our jails affects all of us, and our voices are building the path forward.
Read the individual district reports below:
Stay connected!
Did you know that the Coroner’s Office is nested within the Sheriff’s Department?
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43 deaths in Sheriff custody from 2022–2024 -
1 death every 25 days -
3 more lives lost in 2025 – and counting
What Do the Sheriff and Coroner Actually Do?
Understanding the roles of Sheriff and Coroner is key to understanding why combining them can be a serious threat to accountability and justice.
The Role of the Sheriff
The Sheriff is the top law enforcement officer of a county. They oversee:
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Jail operations and custody of incarcerated individuals
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Patrols and criminal investigations in unincorporated areas
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Court security and civil process services
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Overall public safety enforcement
Sheriffs are elected officials, giving communities direct input into how local policing is carried out.
The Role of the Coroner
The Coroner is an independent official (in most counties) responsible for:
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Determining causes and circumstances of deaths, especially if they are sudden, violent, or unexplained
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Overseeing autopsies and forensic examinations
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Making official findings on how someone died (natural causes, homicide, accident, etc.)
These findings are essential for transparency and for the public’s right to know what happened in cases of in-custody deaths or officer-involved shootings.