Los Angeles County supervisors tapped Cal Remington, the former head of Ventura County’s Probation Department, to be the acting leader of their troubled department.
The temporary appointment comes as the current chief, Robert Taylor, retires Friday. Taylor’s relationship with the board has been severely strained in recent weeks after a series of management lapses.
Remington has been asked to conduct a top-to-bottom assessment of the department before the permanent chief is appointed later this year, according to William T Fujioka, the county’s chief executive.
Supervisors approved Remington’s as acting chief for 60 to 90 days at an annual salary of $184,000, plus a $7,000 housing allowance.
The department’s 6,200 staffers oversee 60,000 adult probationers and 20,000 youths, including about 3,600 in county-run detention halls and camps. The juvenile operation has been the subject of U.S. Justice Department oversight for misuse of force.
— Garrett Therolf reporting from the L.A. County Hall of Administration