The Conflicts That Arise When Coroners Are Part of a Sheriff Office
<a href="http://www.bakersfieldcalifornian.com/opinion/our-view/x1997481126/When…; target="”_blank”">A
Bakersfield <i>Californian</i> editorial on Saturday</a> points out the kinds of conflict situation that arise when, to save money, a
coroner office is brought into a sheriff or police department
office.<br>
<br>
A conflict situation arises when a coroner is asked to determine the cause
of death of a jail inmate, of an individual in police
custody, or of an individual who dies during a police operation. The
editorial states, "Even when the functions of the two offices are
performed within the strictest letter of the law, the sheriff is
essentially still investigating himself."<br>
<br>
Fresno County is considering bringing the coroner into the sheriff
office. The editorial provides a real-life scenario from neighboring Kern County,
where an individual was "roused from his sleep outside Kern Medical
Center and then, when he reportedly resisted a deputy's efforts to
detain him, beaten with batons, attacked by a K-9 and hog-tied." The
coroner's office said that the man died from natural causes.<br>
<br>
Such a determination, even if it were true, is hard for the community to
trust. The editorial goes on to explain that "good policing (and,
consequently, public safety) requires buy-in from the community —
and that means all the communities within it. Across-the-board
buy-in is achieved only when law enforcement operates as
transparently as possible. Self-investigation does not convey
transparency, and lack of transparency does not engender trust."<br>
<br>
This is well stated and, in California at least, appears to be well understood.
The editorial notes that "conflict of interest protections are in
place for many county and city offices and in state and federal
legislative positions. Somehow, the sheriff is exempt."<br>
<br>
In fact, in too many areas, including nepotism, uniformed
departments are exempt. They shouldn't be. Conflicts in these important government
departments can be very damaging to the public trust.<br>
<br>
Robert Wechsler<br>
Director of Research-Retired, City Ethics<br>
<br>
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