RIVERSIDE, CA — The Riverside Sheriff Accountability Coalition (RSAC) today released a point-by-point rebuttal to Sheriff Chad Bianco’s public statement attacking the 2025-26 Riverside County Civil Grand Jury report, “After a Decade of Record Deaths in County Jails, the Community Deserves Transparency through Oversight.”
The Grand Jury report calls for independent civilian oversight of the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office following a decade of jail deaths, millions in settlement costs, and an active California Attorney General civil rights investigation. In response, Sheriff Bianco issued a statement calling the report “worth absolutely nothing,” accusing the Grand Jury of being driven by “anti-law enforcement activists,” and disputing the report’s findings on oversight, death rates, and accountability.
RSAC’s rebuttal addresses each of Bianco’s claims using the Grand Jury report itself, independent reporting, and public records — including the fact that this administration has responded to multiple prior Grand Jury reports on jail operations without objection, and that the Sheriff is now attacking a process his own department screened every juror for, cooperated with, and endorsed.
“Sheriff Bianco endorsed this process for eight years and is now calling it illegitimate. He cites studies that say the opposite of what he claims. The federal consent decree exists because his jails failed constitutional minimums a decade ago and still haven’t fixed it, and the California Attorney General’s civil rights investigation exists because the state jail inspection agency found gaps serious enough to trigger it — yet he points to both as proof everything is fine. Worse, he conveniently excluded the two worst years on record — include them and the death rate he claims nearly doubles,” said Nathan Kempe, Operations Director at Starting Over Strong and RSAC coalition member.
“This pattern of misrepresenting evidence and politicizing accountability has cost taxpayers millions in settlements, 29 people their lives in Riverside County jails since the AG investigation opened in 2023, and Riverside County its reputation as a safe place to live and work.”
About RSAC: The Riverside Sheriff Accountability Coalition (RSAC) is a diverse group of Riverside County residents and organizations (including ACLU of Southern California, League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), Starting Over Inc., Starting Over Strong, LWV Riverside, ChiCCCAA, and others) calling on the Riverside County Board of Supervisors to provide much-needed accountability for the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office. We believe independent oversight of law enforcement is good for both deputies and the community they serve, and is important for good government practices. rivcosheriffaccountability.org.
