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VISTA ---- Sheriff Bill Kolender on Wednesday declined a call for an outside audit of the San Diego County Sheriff's Department following three fatal deputy-involved shootings in Vista.

John Parker, executive officer of the Citizens' Law Enforcement Review Board, said Wednesday that the three shootings since July 28 were unprecedented and "should compel" the department to closely review the shootings, use of lethal force policies and lethal force training.

Out of six fatal deputy-involved shootings countywide this year, five have been in Vista. The Citizens' Law Enforcement Review Board is an independent panel created by voters to review all deputy-involved shootings in the county.

"I think that an audit, especially by somebody outside with resources, experts, could be a very good thing for the Sheriff's Department at this time," Parker said in a letter to Kolender. "It would enhance your credibility with the community."

That would be especially true if the department released the audit report to the public and followed up on any recommendations, he said.

Kolender declined Parker's call for an outside audit, at least for now, in a brief statement issued through Capt. Glenn Revell, Sheriff's Department spokesman. Kolender was unavailable for personal comment Wednesday.

"At this point, he (Kolender) feels comfortable that we can provide an accurate, thorough investigation, and he believes it's important for us to be responsible and accountable to the public," Revell said. "I believe he feels we're the best option."

Revell said the sheriff feels the process in place, which provides for an independent review by the elected county district attorney, "has served the department and citizens for many years."

Capt. Rob Ahern, commander of the Vista Sheriff's Station, said he had no problem with an outside audit.

"I believe that our books are always open for scrutiny and accountability, and I encourage that," Ahern said. "We have nothing to hide."

Parker said an audit should include at least a review of shooting deaths over the last two or three years, lethal force policies and training, and an assessment of how the department conducts its investigations of deputy-involved shootings.

There are a number of private and nonprofit organizations that specialize in examining law enforcement practices and providing feedback to the agency, local government and the community, including the Police Assessment Resource Center of Los Angeles, Parker said.

Merrick Bobb, special counsel to the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, is president of the resource center, which has reviewed the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department for more than 10 years and audits law enforcement practices around the nation.

Bobb said a lethal forces review audit would cost roughly $100,000 per year, but the liability savings could be significant.

"We'll review policies, procedures, make recommendations on what we feel could have been done better or what was right," said Brian Buchner, the center's senior research analyst. "We're not just there to criticize people."

In addition to the reviews by the Citizens' Law Enforcement Review Board and the county district attorney's office, the Sheriff's Department conducts a number of investigations into the shootings.

Homicide detectives handle the criminal investigations, the internal affairs unit checks for policy violations, human resources looks at the factors and decisions in using nonlethal weapons, and the training and firearms training units examine the shootings for procedural issues that need to be addressed.

Assistant Sheriff Bill Gore said "nothing that we have seen has led us to believe we need to change our policies or procedures immediately."

Parker said he supports the deputies' rights to defend themselves and others, and he recognizes "the danger in creating a reluctance or indecision to use lethal force" when circumstances require it.

As part of dealing with the shootings, sheriff's officials have said they plan to attend a community meeting the city of Vista will hold from 7 to 9 p.m. Wednesday, said Assistant City Manager Rick Dudley. He said a site for the question-and-answer session was still being sought.

"We want to give the community a chance to voice their concerns and ask questions that they have, and give the Sheriff's Department a chance to respond," Dudley said.

Gore said he didn't know yet whether Kolender will attend the meeting, but Ahern met Tuesday afternoon with Vista city officials to reach out to the community.

"It's unusual that you have three (deputy-involved shootings) in five days, but you can't control circumstances," Gore said.

Sergio Garcia Vasquez, 32, whose identity was released Wednesday, was killed July 28 after he allegedly charged at deputies investigating a domestic violence situation. Authorities say he threw a 10-pound dumbbell weight that hit a deputy who tried to use pepper spray to stop Vasquez before shooting him.

Authorities said Jorge Ramirez, 26, an armed robbery suspect on parole who was named in Vista's gang injunction, was killed Friday night after he reached into his clothing for what deputies thought might be a gun. Sheriff's homicide Lt. Tom Bennett said Ramirez didn't have a gun, but there was a knife in his clothing.

On Monday, a deputy fatally shot Jesus Eduardo Manzo, 23, convicted of car burglary, after he allegedly ran during a stolen vehicle investigation. Manzo was reaching for something on his hip, homicide Capt. Clay Reynard said. He said a K-9 dog was used to try to stop Manzo during the chase.

Early Wednesday morning, a sign featuring a graduation photo of Manzo and condemning his death was found in front of the sheriff's community-oriented policing office in the Townsite neighborhood, deputies said.

Staff writer Anne Riley-Katz contributed to this story.

Contact staff writer Jo Moreland at (760) 740-3524 or jmoreland@nctimes.com.