John Alden named as director of Independent Office of Law Enforcement Review and Outreach

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John Alden, a veteran oversight practitioner with more than 13 years of experience leading and managing civilian oversight agencies, has been named director of the Independent Office of Law Enforcement Review and Outreach (IOLERO). Alden was selected after a successful nationwide recruitment and extensive selection process.

The Sonoma County Board of Supervisors is scheduled to confirm his appointment at its Aug. 9 meeting.

“We want to thank the community for its assistance in helping us identify the priorities and competencies it wanted to see in the next director of IOLERO,” said James Gore, chair of the Board of Supervisors. “John Alden brings extensive oversight experience to the county’s IOLERO office at a crucial time, and we’re excited to see the ideas and vision that he will be bringing to the position.”

“I am honored that the members of the Board of Supervisors have placed their trust in me, and I’ve been inspired by Sonoma county’s work to create oversight for the Sheriff’s Office,” said Alden. “I am looking forward to working with the community and the Sheriff’s Office to foster accountability, transparency, and communication.”

Alden started his legal career at the Sonoma County District Attorney’s Office as a deputy district attorney in 1997. He then worked at the Marin County District Attorney’s Office as a deputy district attorney from 1998 to 2003. Alden performed legal work in criminal and civil practice from 2003 to 2008 before serving as an attorney in the Internal Affairs Division of the San Francisco Police Department until 2016. Alden started his law enforcement oversight work as an attorney for the San Francisco Department of Police Accountability from 2016 to 2018 when he became the Managing District Attorney for the city’s Independent Investigations Bureau within the District Attorney’s Office. In that role, he managed a unit that investigated criminal cases involving alleged police officer misconduct. Alden served as executive director at the Oakland Community Police Review Agency from 2019 to 2022 where he led staff in independent investigations of allegations of police misconduct.

Alden has a bachelor’s degree in mass communications and a juris doctor degree from the University of California, Berkeley.

IOLERO is a civilian review agency that provides objective, independent audit and investigation of Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office complaints, proposes policy recommendations to the Sheriff’s Office and strives to strengthen the relationship between the Sheriff’s Office and the community it serves. The director oversees an office of 4.5 full-time staff and manages IOLERO’s operating budget of $1.76 million.

Upon the resignation of the previous IOLERO director in 2021, the board appointed an interim IOLERO director while the county engaged in a nationwide search for a permanent director. As part of the search, the county conducted a community survey to hear the public’s input on the priorities of IOLERO and the most important competencies of the new director. More than 230 responses were submitted. Subsequently, the Board of Supervisors interviewed finalists and selected Alden to be the next IOLERO director.

Alden’s annual salary as director will be $189,093.

Learn more about the IOLERO at: https://sonomacounty.ca.gov/administrative- support-and-fiscal-services/independent-office-of-law-enforcement-review-and- outreach

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Media Contact:

Sylvia Lemus, Communications Specialist
publicaffairs@sonoma-county.org
(707) 565-3040
575 Administration Drive, Suite 104A
Santa Rosa, CA 95403