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.