Method behind their lack of action

Re “Reform bid fades away amid hems and haws,” column, Dec. 20

The dismal lack of action by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors when it comes to the juvenile justice system is a plan, not an error. The board has carefully avoided the situation for two reasons:

* Ignore it long enough and someone else will have to pick up the ball, such as the state or federal justice systems.

* Putting criminals on the streets who are better trained by being in the L.A. County juvenile facilities provides more work for the county Sheriff’s Department, which means we’ll need more deputies, which means the board then has the need to ask for more money from us to create the new positions. So you see the plan is to either get rid of the problem by dumping it on someone else, or prove that you have just created an outstanding job market for peace officers in Southern California. The more the board members can run around wringing their hands over a lack of adequate funds for our needs justifies their being and makes them feel important.

SALLY A. GRAVES

West Covina