Supervisors to consider probation department oversight plan

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday, March 2, will take up Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky’s motion to scrutinize the Probation Department’s internal affairs and child-abuse investigations and report back in 90 days with findings. After former Chief Probation Officer Robert Taylor’s retirement and the naming of an interim director until newly appointed CPO Donald H. Blevins assumes his duties in April, Yaroslavsky thought the time was right to borrow the established in-house expertise of the Office of Independent Review to review Probation Department operations. In 2001, the Board created the OIR, today comprising Chief Attorney Mike Gennaco and five other attorneys, to monitor the Sheriff’s Department and investigate allegations of officer misconduct.

Posted 2/25/10