Alameda County Grand Jury slams Oakland (yet again), Santa Rita Jail, and BART Board, its management, and labor unions

Grand jury finds some Santa Rita Jail cells had "the presence of feces smeared on walls and foul odors in several cells described as being available for immediate occupancy...'

COUNTY NEWS

ALAMEDA COUNTY GRAND JURY REPORT

—GRAND JURY CALLS FOR TRANSPARENCY—An Alameda County Civil Grand Jury report released Tuesday scrutinizes the lack of transparency at a number of local jurisdiction.

—The 182-page annual report, which primarily serves as a government watchdog, details eyewitness reports of feces smeared on the walls of some cells at Santa Rita Jail; improper oversight by Oakland leaders of various city departments, and allegations that BART boardmembers, management, and labor union sought to undermine its Office of the Inspector General.

—The grand jury was particularly focused on Oakland. The report slammed the city for not doing enough to fund fire inspections, voiced condemnation for lax oversight of skyrocketing overtime at the Planning and Building Department, and faulted confusion between the City Clerk’s office and the Oakland Public Ethics Commission about oversight of city official’s statements of economic interests.

MORE INSIDE:

• The full report from today’s Alameda County Civil Grand Jury report.