L-R: Co-Vice Chair Arthur Calloway, Chair Hans Johnson, and Co-Vice Chair Luis S. Garcia
The Los Angeles County Sheriff Civilian Oversight Commission has unanimously elected Commissioner Hans Johnson as its new chair, along with reelecting Commissioner Luis S. Garcia and electing Commissioner Arthur Calloway II as co-vice chairs for fiscal year 2025-2026.
Johnson replaces former Chair Robert C. Bonner, who served since the commission's inception in 2017 until his term ended this month when Board of Supervisors Chair Kathryn Barger opted not to renew it.
"Strong oversight is public safety," Johnson said. "My goals are to strengthen collaboration with the Department and how it seeks and values our input; to secure a new mandate to do our job as a Commission; to shine a light on the hard truths of deputy gangs and eradicate this lasting cancer in the Department."
Johnson serves as president of Progressive Victory, a nationally recognized consultancy on advocacy strategy and good governance practices in the nonprofit sector. He has more than 20 years of experience working in over 20 states with local advocates who track hate crimes and train public safety officers in LGBTQ awareness and cultural competency.
Garcia, who is serving his second term, works as a senior consultant at Advocates for Human Potential, a behavioral health consulting firm. He is also a licensed clinical social worker and founder of Sentir Psychotherapy.
"I remain committed to strengthening transparency and accountability, deepening community trust, and building bridges between the community and the LASD," Garcia said.
Calloway, the commission's newest member appointed in September 2024, is the first commissioner based in the Antelope Valley. An Air Force veteran, he advocates for racial justice and domestic violence prevention while serving as chair of the Antelope Valley Black Chamber of Commerce.
"My goal is to eliminate the need for my position," Calloway said. "We should not need to have oversight. We should only have organizations that hold themselves accountable."
Under Bonner's leadership in fiscal year 2024-2025, the commission pursued revisions to its governing ordinance and issued subpoenas for confidential documents about deputies' use of force, which the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department has challenged in court.
The commission was created by the Board of Supervisors in 2016 to provide independent oversight of the sheriff's department and investigate its policies, practices and procedures.
Edited by SMDP Staff