SAN DIEGO COUNTY, Calif. — Leading up to the San Diego County Board of Supervisors' selection of Assistant Sheriff Anthony Ray as the incoming interim Sheriff, demonstrators called on the state Attorney General to take control of the county's jails.
This comes in response to a recent audit finding the San Diego County Sheriff's Department did not do enough to prevent nearly 200 inmate deaths since 2006.
"We are in a crisis," said Yusef Miller of the Racial Justice Coalition of San Diego. "People are dying!"
"Our loved ones died unnecessarily," added AC Mills, whose son Kevin died while in the custody of the San Diego County jail system.
"I can't get my son back, but hopefully we can prevent more deaths from happening in our jails," said Sundee Weddle, whose son Saxon Rodriguez also died while incarcerated in San Diego County.
A recent audit of San Diego County's seven jails, which are overseen by the Sheriff's Department, documented 185 inmate deaths between 2006 and 2020: one of the highest rates in the state. It also found that the Sheriff's Department failed to adequately prevent and respond to those deaths.
On Tuesday, demonstrators gathered outside the County Administration Building, calling for the state Attorney General to intervene and oversee the county's detention facilities, instead of the sheriff.
"We did not need an interim sheriff," said activist, Tash Williamsons. "We needed an AG who had the courage to step in and take over these jails before another death happens...because it's right around the corner!"
Members of the group also made their case for the state to take control of the county's jails during Tuesday's Board of Supervisors meeting, before the board members selected the interim sheriff.
"There's been suggestions around the Attorney General: that requires a court order," said Board Chairman Nathan Fletcher. "That is not something the attorney general can just decide to do, and what we have in front of us is a path where we need to move forward now."
In moving forward, the board unanimously selected Assistant Sheriff Anthony Ray, a 30-year veteran of the department as interim Sheriff, who said he wants to meet with these demonstrators.
"I would love to sit down, either before I become sheriff or once I become the sheriff, sit down and hear what their grievances are and hear what they think we should be doing, show them what we are actually doing and see if we can find some common middle ground where we can now forward in that area," said Ray.
Fletcher also pointed out, the county is actively working on carrying out the audit's recommendations, including increased staffing for jail intake assessments.
WATCH RELATED: State auditor issues scathing report on San Diego County jail deaths (February 2022)