LA County puts 66 probation officers on leave for misconduct including sexual abuse, excessive force

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Los Angeles County Probation Department announced Monday that it has put 66 of its officers on administrative leave in the past five months for alleged offenses including excessive force, sexual abuse and drug possession.

The department said the announcement was intended as an effort to “regain public trust” as it roots out employees who engage in misconduct at the nation’s largest probation agency with 2,800 sworn officers.

“We are releasing this information in the spirit of greater transparency and to assure our stakeholders — especially the families of youths in our juvenile facilities — that we will not tolerate anything that impedes our mission to provide a safe, nurturing and structured environment for those entrusted to our care,” Probation Chief Guillermo Viera Rosa said in a statement.

The probation officers placed on leave since January 1 were assigned to both the department’s adult and juvenile operations.

Of the 66 officers cited, 39 were for issues of general misconduct, which includes suspected use of excessive force, child endangerment or abuse, possession of contraband, and negligent supervision, officials said.

In addition, 18 were put on leave for suspected sexual misconduct and nine for arrests unrelated to employment.