Supervisors still haven't completed Probation

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors is on the verge of naming a new chief probation officer, and we're holding our breath. Too many of the people who have filled the position over the last two decades lacked a coherent vision for the department, failed to give the job their full attention, never intended to stay, wouldn't or couldn't curb bad behavior by their deputies, didn't work well with the Board of Supervisors, or some combination of the above. Hope springs eternal, and it could be different this time. As the supervisors conducted interviews earlier this month, the names of finalists were reported by the website WitnessLA, and they include candidates with varied and impressive credentials. The chief probation officer may be the most important department leader appointed by the supervisors, and this hiring decision may therefore be the board's most consequential. Whoever fills the post will take charge of programs that will determine whether juveniles who have had brushes with the law will get the guidance and support they need to straighten out or will instead careen down a destructive path of crime and failure.