Attorney General Bonta Announces Reimbursement Process for Youth Unlawfully Issued Citations by the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department Through Student Citation Program

California Attorney General Xavier Becerra - Press Releases · October 27, 2026

October 27, 2026 Contact: (916) 210-6000, agpressoffice@doj.ca.gov Individuals who may be eligible can submit a claim through April 18, 2027 SAN BERNADINO — California Attorney General Rob Bonta today announced that under the California Department of Justice’s (DOJ) recent settlement with the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department (Sheriff's Department), individuals who were cited by the Sheriff's Department when they were under the age of 18 for certain offenses under a student citation program may be eligible for reimbursement of any related fines and fees and dismissal of the citation . The settlement formally concludes practices associated with Operation CleanSWEEP (CleanSWEEP), a student citation program operating in San Bernardino County, and in several school districts across the County, from 1997 until 2022. Shortly after DOJ's investigation began in 2022, the Sheriff's Department suspended CleanSWEEP and it terminated the program countywide in January 2024. “All students deserve school environments centered on their learning, not environments that criminalize youth. During a years-long investigation, my office found San Bernadino County’s CleanSWEEP program unlawfully issued citations to students that at times led to steep fines and resulted in adverse impacts against protected student groups,” said Attorney General Bonta. “Upon bringing these findings to the attention of law enforcement and school officials, the parties took significant steps to collaboratively address our findings, including by agreeing to permanently terminate the CleanSWEEP program. As part of my office’s settlement with the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department, students who were cited by the Sheriff's Department for certain offenses when they were under the age of 18 may be eligible for dismissal of the citation and reimbursement of any related fines and fees. I encourage people who may be eligible to submit a claim to the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department by April 18, 2027." ELIGIBILITY If you were cited by the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department when you were under the age of 18 for certain offenses, you may be eligible for reimbursement of any related fines and fees and dismissal of the citation. You may be eligible for relief if you paid any fines and fees or have matters currently pending related to a citation for any of the following offenses: Daytime loitering on school grounds, under San Bernardino County Ordinance section 25.0202, Rancho Cucamonga Municipal Code section 9.30.030, Ontario Municipal Code section 5-7.04, or any similar ordinance (citation must have been issued on or after December 20, 2002). A tobacco-related offense, under Penal Code section 308, subdivision (b) (citation must have been issued on or after June 9, 2016). Fighting or disturbing the peace on school grounds, under Penal Code section 415. Any offense if you were under the age of 12 (citation must have been issued on or after January 1, 2019). If you received a citation listed above, you may be eligible for (1) reimbursement for any fines or fees relating to the citation, and (2) dismissal of the citation. HOW TO SEEK REIMBURSEMENT FOR YOUR CITATION OR DISMISSAL OF YOUR CITATION If you believe you received a citation listed above and may be eligible for relief, contact the Sheriff’s Department by: Email: crcoordinator@sbcsd.org Phone: 909-387-3406 Mail: 655 East 3rd St., San Bernardino, CA 92415 to the attention of Miles Kowalski. TTY callers may call the Department’s non-emergency dispatch lines: Valley Communications Center (VCC) at 909-387- 8313; and Desert Communications Center at 760-956-5001. All requests must be received by April 18, 2027. Be prepared to provide proof of the citation, any related fines or fees, and any related pending matters. If you are not able to provide proof, the Sheriff’s Department will work with you to verify the information above. If you need reasonable accommodations related to your request, please contact the San Bernardino County Public Access ADA Coordinator by phone at 909-386-8655 or 7-1-1, or mail at 22 West Hospitality Lane, 3rd floor, San Bernardino, CA 92415. THE CLEANSWEEP PROGRAM CleanSWEEP — an acronym for “Success with Education/Enforcement Partnership” — was a youth-ticketing program developed by the Sheriff's Department in collaboration with schools and other law enforcement agencies across San Bernardino County. As part of the program, law enforcement agencies trained school staff to conduct investigations and issue citations to students for low-level offenses allegedly committed by students ages 10 through 17 on school campuses. Law enforcement agencies would later sign the citation and require students and their parents to appear in adult traffic court, typically without legal representation, where they faced potential serious penalties, including fines in some cases in excess of $1,000 for a single violation, and steeper penalties if students and their families failed to appear. From 2016 to 2022, the two most common cited violations countywide were for possession of under an ounce of marijuana (35%) and daytime loitering (34%). ABOUT THE INVESTIGATION AND SETTLEMENTS In 2022, DOJ began investigating the CleanSWEEP program and found, among other things, in implementing the program, the Sheriff's Department and Chaffey Joint Union High School District (the District) violated the law by issuing citations to students not authorized by law, such as for daytime loitering on school grounds, disturbing the peace on school grounds, and tobacco possession. DOJ’s investigation revealed the parties’ implementation of CleanSWEEP harmed protected student groups. Last month, Attorney General Bonta entered into two separate settlements reached cooperatively with the Sheriff's Department and the District . The settlements formally terminate practices associated with CleanSWEEP — which the Sheriff's Department and District independently suspended in 2022. Under the settlements, both parties agree to terms that include revised training and policy as well as monitoring to ensure compliance with the settlement. The Sheriff's Department and the District have already made progress in implementing their respective settlement terms. The Sheriff's Department has already made significant changes, including revising policies and procedures, revising training materials, agreeing to a training expert to help develop additional Student Resource Officer (SRO)-specific training, developing an SRO Guide, and agreeing to a data expert to analyze the Sheriff's Department citation and Racial and Identity Profiling Act (RIPA) data. The District, in place of punitive citation practices, has invested in trauma-informed strategies, restorative justice training, mental health support, enhanced student services, and campus-wide supports that focus on education, engagement, and accountability. "Our collaboration with the Attorney General’s Office in discontinuing use of the county-wide program was rooted in shared values. This agreement reflects the District’s proactive efforts and our ongoing commitment to helping students grow in a safe, caring, and supportive school environment,” District Superintendent Dr. Mathew Holton stated.

Источник: California Attorney General Xavier Becerra - Press Releases