Boost sought in L.A. County Probation Department’s internal affairs staff
Los Angeles County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas called Tuesday on the county Probation Department to hire more internal affairs staff to investigate employee misconduct.
Ridley-Thomas’ comments followed publication of a Times story revealing incidents in which probation officers were convicted of crimes or disciplined in recent years for inappropriate conduct involving current or former probationers, including several cases of officers molesting or beating youths in their care.
The Probation Department has eight internal affairs positions to investigate misconduct allegations among a staff of 6,200, officials said. Two of those posts are currently vacant, according to interim probation chief Cal Remington.
Ridley-Thomas said he planned to introduce a motion next week calling for the expansion of the department’s internal affairs staff and other measures to increase probation officials’ accountability.
The supervisor, who was in Washington, D.C., Tuesday, called the number of probation investigators “anemic,” referred to the department as “broken” and said he fears for the safety of youths in detention. “Allegations of abuse can take nearly a year to resolve,” he said.
Ridley-Thomas said he has spoken with Remington and plans to meet with incoming probation chief Donald H. Blevins, who is scheduled to take over April 19.
Remington, who is scheduled to begin visiting some of the county’s 22 probation camps and halls Wednesday, said he shares the supervisor’s concerns.
“He and I both agree that we need to take a close look at resources,” Remington said, especially internal affairs. “We really do have some good, strong, dedicated staff, but I don’t want to sugar-coat it -- we’ve had problems. It will be my job to allocate more staff and fix those problems.”
In the article published Sunday, The Times identified 11 cases in which juvenile detention officers and deputy probation officers were either convicted or disciplined for inappropriate conduct involving probationers.
Critics of the department have said abuse of youths has occurred in juvenile camps and halls because of lax oversight.
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