As Los Angeles County's probation department emerges from years of federal monitoring because of conditions in its juvenile lockups, a county supervisor called for a far-ranging audit of other potential issues in the department.
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Probation chief Jerry Powers and some other county officials hailed the development as a major accomplishment for a department that had at one point been facing federal takeover.
But the department administration still has critics, including the probation officers' union, which has sparred with Powers repeatedly since he took over as head of the agency in late 2011. The union has complained about staffing levels, promotion standards, background screening standards and other issues.
Supervisor
The audit would examine recruitment, examination, hiring and promotional practices, vacancies and staffing ratios at the juvenile facilities, operating costs, the department's administration of grant funds and contracting procedures.
Supervisor
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