By Isabell Ortega
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Civilian Oversight Commission yesterday unanimously elected Commissioner Hans Johnson as its new Chair.
Chair Johnson takes over from former Chair Robert C. Bonner, who served on the Commission since its inception in 2017 until his term ended this month after Board of Supervisors Chair Kathryn Barger opted not to renew it earlier this year.
According to media reports, Bonner alleged he was forced out. Barger said in the same story that her reasoning included a commitment, “…to broadening the diversity of voices and expertise represented on the Commission.”
She further said her “decision reflects my desire to continue cultivating public trust in the oversight process by introducing new perspectives that support the Commission’s vital work.”
Johnson, who served as Co-Vice Chair before becoming Chair, said strong oversight is key to public safety.
“In serving Angelenos and this Commission, 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; to align the Commission’s committees with our strategic plan; and to share the lessons of our work with oversight commissions throughout California and the United States,” said Johnson.
Johnson is president of Progressive Victory, a nationally renowned consultancy on advocacy strategy and good governance practices in the nonprofit sector.
His experience includes more than 20 years in more than 20 states with local advocates for nonviolence who track hate crimes and train public safety officers and first responders in LGBTQ awareness, inclusion, and cultural competency.
Additionally, he has worked extensively with foundations, labor unions, congregations, and fair housing and human rights organizations in every U.S. state and D.C.
The commission also reelected Commissioner Luis S. Garcia, Ph.D., and elected Commissioner Arthur Calloway II to serve as Co-Vice Chairs. They will serve through fiscal year (FY) 2025-2026.
Garcia is 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,” said Garcia, who is on his second term.
Calloway is the first Commissioner to be based in the Antelope Valley. An Air Force veteran, he advocates for racial justice and domestic violence prevention, is a configuration management lead at a major defense contractor, and chairs the Antelope Valley Black Chamber of Commerce.
“My goal is to eliminate the need for my position,” Calloway said in response to his election. “We should not need to have oversight. We should only have organizations that hold themselves accountable.”
