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KPBS Midday Edition

Proposed reforms could change how in-custody deaths are investigated

The George Bailey Detention Facility in Otay Mesa is shown on July 21, 2015.
Megan Wood
The George Bailey Detention Facility in Otay Mesa is shown on July 21, 2015.

A number of reforms being proposed to the county’s Citizen’s Law Enforcement Review Board would constitute the biggest changes to the board since its beginnings nearly 30 years ago.

The board is charged with investigating in-custody deaths involving the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department and San Diego County Probation Department.

Among the suggested changes is a proposal that would allow an agreed-upon board member to attend death-scene investigations — as well as the ability to have certain oversight of jail medical staff.

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The reforms would still have to get approval from multiple entities, including the Sheriff’s Department.

Kelly Davis, a San Diego writer who covered the story for The San Diego Union-Tribune, joined Midday Edition on Monday with more on the story.

KPBS has created a public safety coverage policy to guide decisions on what stories we prioritize, as well as whose narratives we need to include to tell complete stories that best serve our audiences. This policy was shaped through months of training with the Poynter Institute and feedback from the community. You can read the full policy here.