4 L.A. County probation officers placed on leave due to continued violence at juvenile facility
Four probation officers at Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall have been placed on administrative leave following an internal review by the Los Angeles County Probation Department.
The suspensions relate to multiple incidents of “youth-on-youth violence” at the embattled juvenile detainment facility in Downey, officials said.
Probation Department Chief Guillermo Viera Rosa said these suspensions are part of a concerted effort to “root out” staff that he says are responsible for perpetuating a “culture of violence, drugs, or abuse” at the county’s juvenile institutions.
“While these incidents involve a small number of our staff, they violate our core values and undermine our ability to do our duty to provide a safe and nurturing environment for the rehabilitation of the youth placed in our care,” Viera Rosa said in a news release issued Friday.
He added that he was committed to “dig deeper into potential wrongdoing” and take immediate action to address anything that contributes to that alleged culture of violence.
Before being named chief of L.A. County’s Probation Department, Viera Rosa was appointed as the “chief strategist” for the county’s juvenile operations following intensely critical reviews of facility conditions by state leaders. During his tenure, he has promised to “wipe the slate clean” and revitalize the way the county addresses juvenile detention.
Arguably the biggest change during his time at the helm of the Probation Department took place when hundreds of detained juveniles were moved from other aging facilities to Los Padrinos, which was renovated and reopened last summer.
Since then, probation officers located a gun inside the facility and a riot occurred, leading to one inmate escape followed by another juvenile escape months later.
Last May, a teenager housed at Barry J. Nidorf Juvenile Hall in Sylmar died of an overdose while in custody, which the union representing the probation officers blamed, in part, on the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors. Union officials said a hiring freeze led to many officer vacancies.
Earlier this year, eight probation officers were placed on administrative leave due to a December incident involving them and several of the incarcerated minors at the facility. Video released by the Los Angeles County Probation Department showed what some referred to as a juvenile “fight club,” with the L.A. County Office of the Public Defender saying it showed the probation officers “encouraging violence between detained youth.”
The investigations involving all of the 12 suspended officers are ongoing and are now being conducted by the California Attorney General’s Office.
A spokesperson for Viera Rosa said the decision to send the investigation to outside law enforcement was made to ensure a fair and independent review while the department’s own internal affairs unit is “restructured and professionalized.” It is unclear what that entails.
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