Arrested (Oversight) Development: Civilian Oversight,Law Enforcement,and Federalism

Abstract

Local governments have faced repeated calls for law enforcement reform, with advocates promoting civilian oversight agencies to improve accountability. These efforts tend to target municipal police departments, leaving county sheriffs’ offices often overlooked, despite their important roles in the carceral system. However, two states stand out as exceptional: state legislatures in Maryland and California passed new laws to promote county efforts for civilian oversight of sheriffs. Which county governments create or strengthen boards in response to this window of opportunity, and how does this process compare to the creation of municipal boards? We argue that voter demographics, rather than police violence and protests, play a more significant role in influencing the adoption of civilian oversight of sheriffs, who are elected officials. Drawing on an original dataset of oversight board formation, we show that counties create or strengthen boards when there is political support from the local electorate.