Me, a grand juror? Six years ago, my wife handed me an article from our local newspaper, stating that the county was seeking new Civil Grand Jurors. I asked her, ‘me?” She replied as all wives do “Why not? You have some spare time, you like to investigate things, you like to know what is going on in our city and county. Why not you?”
That was then. Since then I have served happily on four Solano County Grand Juries and am now in my fifth grand jury.
Why? I have always worked at jobs that made things better for me and the world I live in. And the grand jury does just that.
For example: Many different organizations of first responders were on different communications networks and could not effectively talk to one another while responding to emergency situations. Fire, police, medical responders, all working to save lives and properties without knowing where others were, or what others were doing. A lot of confusion wasted time and efforts. Not to mention the danger of working blindly in emergency situations.
An investigation by the Solano Grand Jury revealed this problem, then with a published Grand Jury Report, the efforts of the Office of Emergency Services, and the funding from the Solano County Board of Supervisors, a network of linked radios was established, and put into effect throughout the county. We made a difference in safety and efficiency. This is just one example.
A grand jury is part of the Superior Court System and directed by the presiding judge. Each grand jury is made up of 19 citizens from all walks of life. Retired doctors, nurses, educators, law enforcement. Firefighters, IT people, business people and warehouse management are all in the current Grand Jury. Each contributes to the findings and recommendations of the reports made by the jury.
With this mix of backgrounds and interest, I have been exposed to ideas and methods that take me beyond my personal educational background. It is exciting to learn so much from others. Concurrently, learning about the way our county and city governments are constructed and managed has been a revelation.
In many cases, major changes have been made in the efficiency and effectiveness of our governmental procedures and policies. Many agencies have discovered areas where they were not aware of the possibility of improvement to services and increased quality of life for our citizens.
That’s the job of the grand jury.
Editor’s Note: The Solano County Board of Supervisors proclaimed February as Grand Jury Awareness Month. As part of the celebration, members of the Solano County Civil Grand Jury have been sharing their experiences at city council meetings and will focus on encouraging other Solano County citizens to serve on the Civil Grand Jury. The grand jury members will be available to address questions from the public at the council meetings. Prospective Grand Jury members must be at least 18 years of age, residents of Solano County for at least one year, and not currently serving as elected officials. Throughout its term, the Grand Jury examines the various agencies and departments of Solano County by conducting tours, investigations and interviews. Findings and recommendations are presented in published reports.
February 21, 2020
Vacaville Reporter
By Walt Scherff (guest editorial)
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