66 LA County probation officers placed on leave after misconduct allegations

The Los Angeles County Probation Department announced Monday that it has suspended 66 sworn officers so far this year. 

The agency's leaders released this information to regain the public's trust after security camera footage caught officers allowing youth-on-youth violence to go unchecked at the Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall.

"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," Chief Guillermo Viera Rosa said. 

The officers worked at both adult and juvenile facilities. 

Of the 66 officers placed on leave, 39 were for general misconduct, including suspected use of excessive force, child endangerment or abuse, possession of contraband and negligent supervision. The department said it suspended 18 others for sexual misconduct and nine more for arrests unrelated to employment.

Fourteen of the suspended officers worked at Los Padrinos and were connected to the youth-on-youth violence. 

The 66 suspended officers account for about 2% of the 2,800 sworn personnel working for the LA County Probation Department. 

"It is out of respect for the majority of our officers, who perform their duties each day with integrity, that we moved quickly on these cases," Viera Rosa said. "It's not right that the majority should be tarnished by the misconduct of a few. We will not tolerate anything that is an affront to our mission and a disgrace to the important work we do." 

The California Attorney General will handle the cases as the department restructures its internal affairs department.