Community Leaders Urge PJLC to Apply for Police Oversight Role

At the request of community leaders and civil rights advocates, Peace and Justice Law Center Executive Director Sean Garcia-Leys has formally applied to serve as the first Independent Oversight Director for the Santa Ana Police Oversight Commission, a newly created body intended to strengthen police accountability and rebuild public trust.

Santa Ana’s decision to establish a civilian police oversight structure follows decades of advocacy by residents and organizations concerned about over-policing, racial bias, and the lack of transparency in local law enforcement. The Independent Oversight Director role is central to launching the new Commission and is designed to support investigations, policy review, and sustained community engagement around policing.

Garcia-Leys was urged to apply by community advocates, including the ACLU and CHISPA, because of his extensive experience building and working within civilian oversight bodies. He is a founding commissioner and current executive committee member of the Los Angeles County Probation Oversight Commission, the nation’s first civilian oversight body for a county probation department. In that role, he helped design the commission’s structure, develop public-facing accountability processes, review departmental policies, and conduct inspections of juvenile detention facilities during a period of significant institutional turmoil.

His proposal also highlights his role in helping create California’s Gang Database Technical Advisory Committee, a statewide civilian oversight body within the Department of Justice tasked with regulating law enforcement gang databases. That work led to stronger oversight rules, increased transparency, and limits on a surveillance system that had disproportionately harmed Black and Latino communities. Garcia-Leys later participated in the Committee’s regulatory process, bringing the lived experiences of impacted community members directly into policy discussions.

In addition, Garcia-Leys previously led a comprehensive Santa Ana Community Safety Assessment that engaged more than 1,000 residents and stakeholders. That year-long process documented both deep concerns about over-policing and strong community demand for accountable, approachable policing. The assessment emphasized that trust in law enforcement was critical to public safety, while also finding that many residents experienced harassment or over-policing in specific neighborhoods.

The application reflects a critical moment for police accountability in Santa Ana. Regardless of the outcome of the selection process, PJLC will continue its independent legal and advocacy work to advance transparency, reduce police violence, and support community-led approaches to public safety.