Interested in how all the governmental and public agencies work in Alameda County? Want to do something about waste and inefficiency in the use of your County’s (your) money?
If so, you may want to consider service on the Alameda County Civil Grand Jury.
The Civil Grand Jury does not deal with criminal cases or indictments. Rather, this group of 19 local citizens is the watchdog group that investigates the operations of County, city, and special agencies such as school districts, BART, EBMUD and other public and non-profit agencies conducting the business in Alameda county. At the end of their investigations the Civil Grand Jury issues a report that includes their findings and recommendations for improving operating practices and efficiencies of these agencies. The Civil Grand Jury has complete autonomy to decide what and who to investigate and the agencies are legally required to respond in writing to the jury’s findings and recommendations.
Alameda County Civil Grand Jury gets results. Some past investigations outcomes include:
•  A uniform system of emergency communications between all county agencies
•  Reorganized and expanded storage capacity for retention of government emails
•  Expanded emphasis on ethics training and expense control at the Port of Oakland
•  Saving millions of dollars of taxpayer money in Oakland for retiree benefits
•  Exposing serious deficiencies in Oakland’s 911 system

More Grand Jury information.

There are benefits to Civil Grand Jury service beyond the impact of its investigation. Jurors learn a great deal about the inner workings of their local government agencies. Also, they gain skills and knowledge in researching documents, questioning witnesses, and discussing critical issues with their fellow jurors.
Prospective jurors must be a resident of Alameda County. This volunteer position lasts 12 months from July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027. Applicants are interviewed by a panel of Superior Court Judges and a panel of 19 jurors are selected by random draw from a pool of 30 candidates.
Participation on the Civil Grand Jury is a significant commitment: at least two meetings via Zoom per week for one year on Wednesday and Thursday mornings, and monthly in-person meetings in Oakland.
Additionally, applicants must be able to use Microsoft Teams and Zoom, and significant writing of reports will be required of each applicant.”

Applications are available on the Civil Grand Jury web site https://grandjury.acgov.org/join-us/
Applications must be submitted by April 1, 2026.