Protesters gathered by the thousands in downtown Riverside in early June, 2022, to express their frustration with the killing of Black people by police officers across the nation. The uprising that became international, was in response to the murder of a 46-year-old Black man, George Floyd, by a Minneapolis police officer while other officers stood and watched.
Protesters gathered by the thousands in downtown Riverside in early June, 2022, to express their frustration with the killing of Black people by police officers across the nation. The uprising that became international, was in response to the murder of a 46-year-old Black man, George Floyd, by a Minneapolis police officer while other officers stood and watched. (Photo courtesy of Saida Maalin)

Vonya Quarels

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If caring about our communities and standing up for what’s right makes us activists, then yes—we are activists. And we are not ashamed.

Efforts to paint activists as dangerous or “anti-police” are a political distraction meant to shift focus away from the real crisis: unchecked power in the hands of law enforcement and elected officials. That power—when left unchallenged—leads to corruption and systemic abuse. And too often, it is the most vulnerable—Black, Brown, poor, mentally ill, disabled, and incarcerated (system-impacted) community members—who suffer the consequences.

We live this—not read it in a report. Families in our communities keep losing loved ones.

Riverside County is a glaring example

In 2022, our county had the second-highest number of in-custody deaths in the nation. Hundreds have died under the Sheriff’s watch, and yet instead of accountability, we’re offered excuses. Sheriff Bianco claims he’s “over-scrutinized.” But if that were true, would record deaths continue? Would drugs be smuggled into jails? Would people with serious medical and mental health needs continue to be neglected?

This isn’t about bad optics. It’s about lives lost and families shattered—on the taxpayer’s dime.

And those lives come with a financial toll as well. From 2010 to 2020, Riverside County paid out over $77 million in settlements related to the Sheriff’s Department—$63 million for excessive force and $12 million for false arrests. The 2016 Gray v. County of Riverside lawsuit triggered a court-monitored consent decree and an estimated $33 million in required reforms, including: adequate staffing for health services;  constitutional medical and mental health care; disability accommodations; revised use-of-force protocols; and independent expert monitoring. Nearly a decade later, the County still fails to meet those requirements.

And still, instead of meaningful change, four of the five members of the Riverside County Board of Supervisors have continued to pander to the Riverside Sheriff’s Association (RSA) (the same organization that funded nearly 90% of Sheriff Bianco’s first campaign). These supervisors are not providing oversight; they’re serving as political placeholders while the RSA controls the county from behind the scenes.

And when elected officials attack their constituents instead of representing them, we all lose.

Let’s be clear: being called “anti-police” by a sitting Board Member is not only dismissive—it’s irresponsible. That label is meant to silence people. But it won’t work.

We know who we are. And we know how much power our communities hold.

The IE United Coalition

Through the efforts of the IE United Coalition, more than 10,000 residents have been engaged—nearly 7,500 through surveys (with 97% demanding Sheriff accountability) and thousands more through in-person and online petition gathering by the Riverside Sheriff Accountability Coalition and Starting Over Strong.

That’s not just outreach—it’s base-building. These 10,000 are early adopters—people taking a stand before it’s safe, before it’s popular. And that’s how every significant movement in this country has started: from the ground up. The 8-hour workday, voting rights, and public schools—all of it began with ACTIVISTS who refused to accept the status quo. That’s what being an activist looks like. And in Riverside County, that kind of power doesn’t just make noise—it makes change.

We saw that power on full display at a recent Board of Supervisors meeting, where public comment favored Motion 3.82 (proposing the formation of an ad hoc committee to explore civilian oversight of the Sheriff’s Department) by a 5-to-1 margin. The only opposition came from the usual players: Riverside Sheriff Association (RSA) [union] representatives and their political allies.

Our call isn’t about being anti-law enforcement. It’s about truth, consequences, and real community power—the right to know what’s being done in our name, to see accountability when harm happens, and to have a seat at the table. It’s about ensuring law enforcement is accountable to the people it serves—all people, not just those with political influence or campaign money.

We can have safe communities and strong oversight. In fact, we must. That’s how we build a Riverside County that values every life and upholds justice for all.

Sheriff accountability is not radical. It’s necessary. And despite the delays and distractions, it’s coming.

Starting Over Strong (SOS)  is a statewide advocacy organization focused on ending cycles of homelessness, neglect, and institutional harm in communities impacted by poverty and criminalization through legislation, civic engagement, and grassroots power-building.