This question, which was supposed to be heard Tuesday (today) at the LA County Board of Supervisors’ meeting, was postponed until mid-July (at which time we’ll have our own report), but this story by the Daily News’ Christina Villacourt, gives a preview.
(Villacourt gets the date of the vote wrong, but it’s otherwise a good report.)
This may seem to be one of those inside baseball issues that sets you to yawning, but it is actually a decision that is of real consequence. More on why next month, but for now, here’s an excerpt to give you a framework.
Sheriff Lee Baca not only wants his deputies to arrest and jail suspects, he thinks they should supervise the offenders’ parole.
Baca is making an unprecedented bid to expand the powers of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, saying it would improve community safety because his force has more resources and law enforcement know-how than probation officers.
But the idea, expected to be heard today by the Board of Supervisors, doesn’t sit well with the Los Angeles County Probation Department, whose employees have been monitoring offenders since 1903.
“We’re the agency that is doing this now, and have been doing it for (more than) 100 years,” said Chief Probation Officer Donald Blevins, who questions the need for creating a new bureaucracy.
“You cannot show me another law enforcement agency in the country that does this, so (Baca’s proposal) is an untested model.”
Baca’s idea was prompted by AB 109, Gov. Jerry Brown’s plan to pay local governments to take over the responsibility of supervising low-risk inmates paroled from state prison, if the Legislature agrees to extend taxes that are due to expire June30.
Under that “realignment plan,” the county Probation Department would take on about 500 parolees a month who have committed non-serious, non-violent, non-sex offenses.
Baca believes the Sheriff’s Department should be the agency to routinely check in on parolees, preventing them from violating the terms Sheriff Lee Baca not only wants his deputies to arrest and jail suspects, he thinks they should supervise the offenders’ parole.
Baca is making an unprecedented bid to expand the powers of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, saying it would improve community safety because his force has more resources and law enforcement know-how than probation officers.But the idea, expected to be heard today by the Board of Supervisors, [MY NOTE: Now postponed] doesn’t sit well with the Los Angeles County Probation Department, whose employees have been monitoring offenders since 1903.
“We’re the agency that is doing this now, and have been doing it for (more than) 100 years,” said Chief Probation Officer Donald Blevins, who questions the need for creating a new bureaucracy.
“You cannot show me another law enforcement agency in the country that does this, so (Baca’s proposal) is an untested model.”
Baca’s idea was prompted by AB 109, Gov. Jerry Brown’s plan to pay local governments to take over the responsibility of supervising low-risk inmates paroled from state prison, if the Legislature agrees to extend taxes that are due to expire June30.
Under that “realignment plan,” the county Probation Department would take on about 500 parolees a month who have committed non-serious, non-violent, non-sex offenses.
Baca believes the Sheriff’s Department should be the agency to routinely check in on parolees, preventing them from violating the terms Sheriff Lee Baca not only wants his deputies to arrest and jail suspects, he thinks they should supervise the offenders’ parole.
Baca is making an unprecedented bid to expand the powers of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, saying it would improve community safety because his force has more resources and law enforcement know-how than probation officers.
But the idea, expected to be heard today by the Board of Supervisors, doesn’t sit well with the Los Angeles County Probation Department, whose employees have been monitoring offenders since 1903.
“We’re the agency that is doing this now, and have been doing it for (more than) 100 years,” said Chief Probation Officer Donald Blevins, who questions the need for creating a new bureaucracy.
“You cannot show me another law enforcement agency in the country that does this, so (Baca’s proposal) is an untested model.”
Baca’s idea was prompted by AB 109, Gov. Jerry Brown’s plan to pay local governments to take over the responsibility of supervising low-risk inmates paroled from state prison, if the Legislature agrees to extend taxes that are due to expire June30.
Under that “realignment plan,” the county Probation Department would take on about 500 parolees a month who have committed non-serious, non-violent, non-sex offenses.
Baca believes the Sheriff’s Department should be the agency to routinely check in on parolees, preventing them from violating the terms of their release and committing new crimes…..
Some people say that the Sheriff’s idea will present huge conflicts of interest. Sheriff Baca says otherwise.
More next month.
Baca wants to flex his muscles into parole supervision. The sheriff’s have a single focus, and they do it well. The have the skill and ability to arrest parolees at magnificent numbers. Locking them up is only a fraction of what is needed to keep parolees from committing new crimes. The goal isn’t to arrest them all over and over again forever. The goal is to successfully reintegrate them back into our communities. Can the sheriff’s do more than just lock them up? Don’t we already have an overcrowding problem? Other than lock them up, what will Baca do?
This is an idea that is worth looking into. Sheriff Baca has already instituted many prisoner education programs that are not seen in any other county. He also has many faith based programs that are not seen anywhere else, including muslim outreach opportunities. Who can best supervise someone than the local cop that patrols the block and sees who is causing the problems. It is time to think outside of the box. Our current system is not working.