Led by Supervisor, Zach Friend, the Criminal Justice Council of Santa
Cruz County (CJC) conducted one, if not the first in the
nation, report providing a comparative snapshot of key policies
and procedures established by county law enforcement agencies.
The purpose of the report was to highlight consistencies between
the local law enforcement agencies in Santa Cruz County and where
there are opportunities to improve. The report can be found here:
https://www.scsheriff.com/Portals/1/CJC_FINAL_111821.pdf.
The CJC – which includes every Chief of Police in the county, the
Sheriff, District Attorney, Chief Probation Officer, Public
Defender, County Superintendent of Schools, President of the
local Community College, the Superior Court, County Behavioral
Health Director, local non-profit leaders, County Supervisors,
and local City Councils – have historically prioritized
preventing youth involvement in gangs. However, this past
year they shifted their focus on broader change. Through their
remarkable collaboration, law enforcement partners and the
community in Santa Cruz County are bridging the gap by reviewing
use-of-force policies at the regional level and engaging in
public discussions regarding the findings. The CJC report
provides an example for other counties to replicate,
demonstrating the ability of a diverse group of stakeholders to
effectively convene to improve relationships and outcomes between
the broader community and public safety partners.
