After long and arduous struggles from Sonoma County residents to gain some semblance of police reform in the wake of the recent election, voters showed support for Measure P this past Tuesday. 

The passing of Measure P allows for transparency between citizens and the police department, and the initiative would expand the Independent Office of Law Enforcement Review and Outreach by providing more funding and authority. While Measure P gained immense support among activists and residents, it also received immense opposition from the Sonoma County Police Department, as well as the Sonoma County Farm Bureau. 

The newfound authority that the Office of Law Enforcement Review and Outreach has gained due to the passing of Measure P allows for more thoroughly reviewed cases of misconduct in the Sonoma County Police departments. 

According to an article for the Press Democrat, the measure was added to the voter ballot in August, in response to the murder of George Floyd by ex-officer Derek Chauvin. In addition to more funding, the independent office would also be allotted more access to integral pieces of information regarding misconduct, such as body camera footage, access to evidence, and the power to issue subpoenas for witness testimonies. 

While it may come as no surprise that the measure is not favored by the police departments, and those in support of law enforcement, The Press Democrat wrote, “Sonoma County Sheriff Mark Essick….publicly questioned the legality of the measure and has criticized supervisors for placing the item on the ballot without more robust discussions with his agency about the changes it would trigger if passed.”

Sonoma County officers did not provide any comments to the Sonoma State Star. 

While those opposed feel that the measure is invasive to the Sonoma County Police Department, those in favor appreciate that Measure P holds the police accountable. 

Sonoma County resident and Sonoma State Senior Makayla Vanslyke stated, “It’s about time that people–specifically police– are held accountable for their actions. Police are the people who hold civilians accountable when they mess up, but who holds them accountable when they mess up? Measure P is good because it does just that, it makes them responsible for their actions.”

The initiative passed on Tuesday with 67% of the votes in favor of the measure. The Press Democrat asserts, “Kimmie Barbosa, an activist who has overseen phone and text banking efforts for supporters of the measure, said the early support for the measure signaled to her that there could be an appetite for broader police reform in the county.”

The measure would also increase resources for auditors, as stated in the article, and would make it a requirement for the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors to allocate a budget of about 1% of what the Sheriff’s Office annual budget is. And most intriguing of the changes to be made with Measure P is the “publication of body camera footage on the IOLERO website” as stated in Ballotpedia.org. 

While it may be some time before residents can see the effects of the measure, it is safe to say that a large majority are eager to see what Measure P will do for Sonoma County. The hope is that with this initiative, the public’s trust in the police department will strengthen.