Baca Orders Shake-Up at Sheriff’s Century Station

Amid continuing allegations of wrongdoing at the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Century Station, Sheriff Lee Baca has assigned a new captain to the facility and is making sweeping staff changes.

Sheriff’s officials disclosed Tuesday that department veteran Kenneth Brazile will take over as head of the station, which is embroiled in yet another scandal involving alleged deputy misconduct, including misuse of force.

The sheriff also is transferring 25 women and African American deputies to the station in an effort to counter criticism that the facility does not adequately reflect the demographic composition of the area, which stretches from Watts to Paramount.

The changes--which have been planned for months--are being made amid allegations that station officials allowed 60 deputies to attend a Kings hockey game while on duty last month. After the game, six of the deputies--who reportedly had been drinking--went to a Lynwood restaurant, where they allegedly got into a fight with a parolee.

Sheriff’s division Chief Curtis L. Spears, who oversees the Century Station, declined to discuss the incident. However, he said that several deputies have been relieved of duty and department investigators are trying to decide whether to pursue criminal charges against those involved.

While department officials deny that the incident has anything to do with the staff changes, department sources said the recent problems solidified department officials’ resolve to reform the station.

On Tuesday, Baca said through a spokesman that he believes the changes will improve the quality of law enforcement services in the troubled 13-square-mile stretch of land in the heart of central Los Angeles, which is considered one of the department’s toughest areas to patrol. Before taking office in December, the sheriff pledged to implement a variety of reforms at the Century Station in an effort to address concerns raised by special counsel Merrick Bobb, retained by the Board of Supervisors to track problems in the Sheriff’s Department.

“The Century Station is one of the most demanding assignments in the Sheriff’s Department,” said department spokesman Doyle Campbell. “The moves will add stability and veteran leadership to the deputy ranks.”

In a report issued last June, Bobb found that deputies at the Century Station used their guns three times as often as police officers who patrol very similar turf. Bobb also noted that the station had few African American deputies, few women and only a handful of people who can speak Spanish in the largely Latino community.

“The overall impression of Century Station is a lack of ‘fit’ between the station and the environment in which it operates,” Bobb wrote. “It is not the youngest and most inexperienced deputies who should staff Century Station, rather it should have the cream of the crop.”

Bobb found that deputies view the Century Station as an undesirable long-term assignment, a place “to get their ticket punched, leading to a high turnover rate.” Deputies who stay are often perceived as “cowboys.”

“The department has not dealt this station’s management team an easy hand to play,” Bobb wrote. On the other hand, Bobb found, the station’s managers could do a better job.

“Our strong sense is that the Century Station has not been particularly carefully managed and supervised with respect to liability management, training and deputy performance issues,” he wrote.

As a result, Baca has decided to increase the number of lieutenants and sergeants assigned to the station. He has also handpicked 15 African American deputies and 10 female deputies to transfer to the facility. Campbell said that many of the deputies are giving up coveted positions elsewhere in the department. Almost all are veterans. The moves are expected to be completed within the next 90 days, he said.

Bobb praised the changes.

“Sheriff Baca has previously assured me that the problems at Century would be taken care of,” Bobb said. “I’m heartened to see that he’s acted so quickly.”

Among the deputies making the move to patrol is Marc Saunders, a 14-year member of the department and a training officer at the academy.

“I’m in one of the most prestigious jobs in the Sheriff’s Department right now,” Saunders said. But he said he was looking forward to returning to patrol.

“Basically, [the department] is trying to change the perception of the public that they are not being represented in the area,” said Saunders. “I have family who live in the area and they have that same perception. I want them to feel comfortable, too.”