Rev. Lynn Oldham Robinett has barely started her work on the civilian oversight commission created last year to review the work of the Marin County Sheriff’s Office, but she may soon face competition. A recruitment period is underway for her District 4 seat. The ordinance that established the group calls for staggered terms, and hers was one of two that began with just one year on the clock. In addition to Rev. Oldham Robinett’s seat, which represents West Marin, the county is accepting applications for the District 1 seat, which represents most of San Rafael, Marinwood and Santa Venetia. Each commissioner is allowed to serve two terms on the commission, and Rev. Oldham Robinett intends to seek another one. “We’re required to put out an opening for any vacancies, even if there is potentially an incumbent that would be interested,” said Linn Walsh, the deputy county executive who serves as a liaison to the commission. In its oversight role, the commission will work in tandem with an inspector general who has yet to be hired. Both will have subpoena power when investigating cases. Since the members were appointed last year, the commission has established bylaws and subcommittees but has yet to begin case reviews or engaging with Sheriff Jamie Scardina. The ordinance that established the group dictated that its members would help recruit the inspector general before commencing deeper work. “We did a very robust recruitment process over the last couple of months, and we’re now in the background check phase of the of the process,” Ms. Walsh said. The county is seeking applicants from diverse backgrounds. When Rev. Oldham Robinett was appointed, some activists who had pressed for establishing civilian review objected because she does not represent a community of color. An ordained Episcopal priest, Rev. Oldham Robinett is the interim executive director of the Marin Interfaith Council. She had a three-year Peace Corps stint in Costa Rica, is fluent in Spanish and serves at a bilingual Episcopal congregation in Oakland on two Sundays each month. She is eager to see the commission move beyond its procedural phase and engage in the work of reviewing the sheriff’s office policies, procedures and performance—particularly when it comes to dealing with Latino residents and any cooperation with ICE. “What’s happening in our country is abhorrent,” she said. “They’re rounding up people who aren’t criminals, who are here trying to seek asylum.” The application deadline for the District 4 seat is May 24. For information, go to https://tinyurl.com/sheriffoversight.
The first couple lines of this story were tweaked on April 30 to clarify the news.