Riverside County Sheriff's Department Under Investigation By State -

The state probe was announced Thursday and follows more than a dozen county inmate deaths in recent months.

RIVERSIDE COUNTY, CA — Amid “concerning levels of in-custody deaths and allegations of misconduct” by the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department, California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced Thursday that his office has opened a civil rights investigation into the law enforcement agency.

The state probe will seek to determine whether the sheriff’s department “has engaged in a pattern or practice of unconstitutional policing amid deeply concerning allegations relating to conditions of confinement in its jail facilities, excessive force, and other misconduct,” according to the announcement.

The sheriff’s department oversees five county jails?, including in Banning, Blythe, Indio, Murrieta and Riverside.

Well over a dozen inmates have died in county jails over the last year. In reporting the deaths, the sheriff’s department said foul play was not suspected in most of the cases.

“All Californians deserve fairness and respect from the institutions that serve them,” Bonta said in a released statement. “When some communities don’t see or feel they are being treated equitably by law enforcement, it contributes to distrust and hurts public safety. Unfortunately, it is clear that — amid concerning levels of in-custody deaths and allegations of misconduct — too many families and communities in Riverside County are hurting and looking for answers.

“Whether you have a loved one in jail or are worried about crime in your neighborhood, we all benefit when there is action to ensure the integrity of policing in our state,” Bonta said.

In response to the allegations, Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco released a video statement Thursday. He called the patterns-and-practices probe a “political stunt” out of Sacramento.

“This investigation is based on nothing but false and misleading statements and straight-out lies from activists, including their attorneys,” Bianco said. “This [investigation] will prove to be a complete waste of time and resources.”

The sheriff implied that Bonta’s office did not reach out to the sheriff’s department prior to Thursday’s public announcement.

“We could have provided more than enough evidence to prove these allegations false,” Bianco continued. “We have absolutely nothing to hide and will be more than cooperative and accommodating with this investigation.”

The Attorney General encouraged anyone with information about the investigation to contact the California Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Enforcement Section at Police-Practices@doj.ca.gov.

The sheriff’s department oversees five county jails, including in Banning, Blythe, Indio, Murrieta and Riverside.

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