The proposed 5-person Citizens’ Commission on Jail Violence will be voted on by the LA County Supervisors today, Tuesday, and it looks as if the motion—proposed by Zev Yaroslavsky and Mark Ridley-Thomas—will likely gather the necessary three votes to pass.
Other than Yaroslavsky and Ridley-Thomas, none of the other Supes has officially committed to a YES vote. But when I spoke to Zev over the weekend he said that he believed the necessary vote had been there on Friday, but that the other Supervisors could have drifted away by Tuesday.
Only Supervisor Gloria Molina has been public about her opposition to the Commission. Molina had her own motion for jails reform that will also be considered on Tuesday.
On Monday, however, Mike Antonovich put out a press release saying that if a commission was indeed created he already knew whom he would appoint. (The way the motion is constructed now, each Supervisor is allowed to appoint one of the five commissioners.)
Michael D. Antonovich will appoint retired Federal Judge Dickran Tevrizian to the “Citizens’ Commission on Jail Violence” when the Board of Supervisors considers establishing the commission at tomorrow’s Board meeting. The proposed commission will review the allegations involving the use of force by deputies in the jails and recommend corrective action.
The LA Times took Antonovich’s press release as a strong indication that he would indeed be voting YES (a logical conclusion), but an Antonovich spokesperson insisted that the Supervisor was still making up his mind.
I’m with the Times reporters. I think it’s a done deal.
But we’ll see.
[Very light blogging this morning, more later today.]
As a former member and supervisor with LASD, it about time someone opens the eyes of the public as to what really is happening within the ranks of LASD. Prior to my retirement, I was a supervisor at MCJ in the early 1990’s. I must say that the supervisors then took a hands on approach to problems within the jail under the leadership of Sheriff, Sherman Block. The Chief, Commanders and Captain and his staff was reponsible for and took part in the daily operation of MCJ. Things didn’t run amuck in those years. If deputies were investigated, the investigation was timely and swift. I put all blame on the supervision staff of MCJ for their problems and also on Mr. Tanaka, and Sheriff Leer Baca who I know both personally. They have taken a great department and turned it into a corrupt department at the command level. They personally advocate “kick ass and take names mentality throughout the department, and especially within MCJ.” And yes, if you don’t donate to Mr. Tanaka, you will be left behind. For years the asain deputies were left behind, well, Mr. Tanaka is making sure that doesn’t happen anymore. The sheriff is married to an asain women and has strong ties to Mr. Tanaka and his asain friends. It’s time in my opinion that the FBI do a through investigation of LASD from top to bottom. This culture has been going on too long for the people of Los Angeles. Mr Tanaka and Lee Baca was left behind by Sheriff Block because that didn’t make the grade to command at the top. The current sheriff’s spokesperson was hired as a favor to the father of Mr. Whitmore, a famous actor. The department has turned in favors and donations!!