LOS ANGELES, Calif. — Today, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a motion authored by Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell, representing the Second District, and co-authored by Supervisor Hilda Solis, representing the First District, to draft an ordinance granting the Probation Oversight Commission (POC), a civilian oversight body, authority to receive and refer complaints related to school law enforcement services provided by School Resource Deputies (SRDs). The proposed ordinance would establish an independent process for receiving and referring complaints, ensuring transparency, accountability, and protection of students and families. 

“Disturbing reports of racial bias in school policing make painfully clear the need for stronger protections for students and families who are often afraid to file a complaint about their experiences with school law enforcement,” said Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell. “Creating a process that is safe, responsive, and independent of the department that complaints are made against is an important step towards stronger accountability.”

“Creating a system for students to complain to an independent entity, like the Probation Oversight Commission, creates trust and transparency,” said Supervisor Hilda Solis, who co-authored the motion. “I believe having this accountability tool will help with underreporting of misconduct and will offer protections for all parties.”

A recent analysis of Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department (LASD) data highlights troubling evidence of bias and disproportionate criminalization of Black students who have come into contact with LASD’s SRDs in certain schools, with similar biases being found Countywide, disproportionately impacting Black and Hispanic students including through arrest and citation. Suspension rates for Black students in SRD contract schools exceed statewide averages and there are alarming instances of SRDs having contact with children as young as 5 and 7.

Students also recently shared concerning feedback with the Human Relations Commission’s (HRC) Transformative Justice team about their experiences with SRDs. A report by the Sheriff Civilian Oversight Commission (COC) highlighted that most interviewed students expressed a negative view of SRDs, feeling intimidated, targeted, and experiencing aggressive interactions. A student lawsuit alleging excessive force and harassment by an SRD further illustrates why students feel unsafe making a complaint.

Today’s motion instructs County Counsel to draft an amending ordinance that creates a process, independent of the Sheriff’s Department, for referring complaints related to school law enforcement services, to be implemented by the POC. While the POC will be able to refer complaints, it would not be authorized to conduct investigations or discipline Sheriff’s Department personnel.

The motion also instructs the Executive Director of the POC to organize a public meeting for presenting and receiving public comments on the draft ordinance. This motion also requires a biannual regular report on complaints, especially as it pertains to any data that may indicate racial, disability, and other types of bias.

To read the full motion, click here.

LOS ANGELES, Calif. — Today, Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell, representing the Second District, joined her colleagues on the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors in unanimously supporting Supervisor Lindsey Horvath’s motion, Support for the State of Israel. Supervisor Mitchell also read-in a new motion “Calling for Protection of Human Rights in Gaza and Israel,” that received unanimous support from the Board. The motion calls for the urgent need to prevent the deaths of more innocent Palestinian and Israeli civilians. Supervisor Mitchell, provided the following statement on this:

“All human life is sacred. I am grieving the loss of Israeli and Palestinian civilians in Israel and Gaza. My read-in motion today calls on the Biden administration to provide humanitarian assistance in Gaza and calls for Israel and Hamas to follow international humanitarian law and protect human rights. Israel has the right to defend itself, but it must take caution to protect Palestinian civilian life. I grieve for my Jewish and Israeli residents who are mourning unimaginable loss – the worst massacre of the Jewish people since the Holocaust. I also grieve for my Palestinian residents and mourn for the innocent Palestinian civilians who have been and continue to be killed and displaced this week by Israel’s government. I am very concerned about the rise in antisemitism and Islamophobia that has surfaced across the country this week in response to the war. 

We must continue to partner and address the hate right here in LA County that our Palestinian, Arab, and Jewish community is experiencing every day.” 

To read the full motion, click here. 

LOS ANGELES, Calif. — Today, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a motion authored by Supervisors Holly J. Mitchell and Kathryn Barger, to prevent vanlords – people who rent recreational vehicles to people experiencing homelessness – from continuing to profit off the homelessness crisis and to hold them accountable in fostering unsafe living conditions. The motion calls for a report back in 90 days on potential County ordinances that will help significantly lessen the sale, lease, or rental of recreational vehicles (RVs) that are in the public right-of-way to help reduce the number of RV encampments Countywide.  

“Everyone deserves safe housing free from exploitation and fear,” said Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell. “RVs rented by vanlords, often lack proper registration and insurance and aren’t subject to housing regulations, creating unsafe and hazardous living conditions for those living in RVs and the surrounding communities. I’m proud that this motion will create the legal tools to prevent the rental of RVs and continue the County’s priority to provide stable permanent housing for our unhoused residents. “

 “I appreciate the opportunity to co-author this motion that tackles vanlords preying on our homeless,” said Supervisor Kathryn Barger. “My district is home to several very large RV encampments, including up to 90 RVs that line Forest Lawn Drive. Although I’ve been working with our City of L.A. partners to explore solutions, it has been challenging because city and county ordinances haven’t been updated so our hands are tied. I’m very hopeful that this motion will both bring justice to the predatory networks of vanlords that are taking advantage of people in need and help those housed in RVs know what their rights are.” 

Over the past three years, LA County has seen a significant increase in RV encampments in our unincorporated communities. To address this issue, in 2022, the Board of Supervisors approved a motion authored by Supervisors Mitchell and Barger to establish a Countywide RV pilot program that is now a key component of the County’s Pathway Home initiative.  

Since the roll-out of the RV encampment resolution pilot, the County has learned of the critical role vanlords play in perpetuating the RV encampment crisis and the underground economy that is associated with it. Vanlords target unhoused residents to rent to and often neglect the health, safety, and community concerns associated with RV encampments that they are helping to develop through their rentals. The result is serious public safety issues like improper waste disposal, unsanitary conditions, illegal parking, and more. There have also been reports of vanlords setting RVs on fire to evict occupants, highlighting the need for stricter regulations. 

The motion requires the report back to also include a comprehensive review of existing federal, state, and County laws, codes and fine structures for violations, current restrictions on the sale or auctioning of RVs and recommendations for holding vanlords accountable for relocation expenses for unhoused individuals they are leasing RVs or oversized vessels to.  

To read the full motion, click here.