Baca for Reelection; Yes on C

When Lee Baca ran for sheriff four years ago, 39% of the voters preferred a dead man, incumbent Sherman Block, who died days before the election. The tentative Baca did not inspire confidence. He’s made real progress and provided leadership on tough issues. The Times endorses his reelection.

Sheriff Baca dramatically increased civilian oversight of the department. He created an Office of Independent Review that hires civil rights attorneys to investigate misconduct, a turnabout from the traditional self-investigation. The Sheriff’s Department is now the nation’s largest law enforcement agency with civilians actively involved at all levels of internal investigations. The greater scrutiny should encourage public trust, but county supervisors should still closely track Baca to see that he follows through on reforms.

Baca has addressed problems at the jail, including the reprehensible practice of keeping inmates too long, which resulted in a $27-million legal settlement. After the embarrassing escape of Kevin Pullum, who used a phony ID card with a photo of actor Eddie Murphy to walk out of the Twin Towers jail, Baca tightened security. Escapes, however, have not been eliminated and trustees still walk away.

Since the death of a mentally ill man, Kevin Evans, in custody, Baca has addressed the policy on restraining inmates, but he should do more to improve medical care. Times staff writer Beth Shuster has reported allegations of former inmates that medical needs were neglected in jail. This is an area that the sheriff must manage better.

The jails, housing about 2,500 diagnosed mentally ill inmates on any given day, have become the county’s largest mental health facility. Other inmates need help for addiction. Baca has proposed treatment and a tent city for homeless former inmates, an idea his critics dismiss as “hug-a-thug.” These programs are not softheaded but practical. Baca should be commended for moving in a direction that few in law enforcement are willing to go.

The sheriff is weakest on budget issues. He spent $25 million over the budget set by the county supervisors, including $2.4 million on a plane, a questionable purchase. Baca says some of the deficit came from 9/11 overtime spending, which is understandable. But if reelected, he must be more fiscally prudent.

Baca leads a department that patrols 41 cities and unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County, guards 20,000 inmates in county jails, provides bailiffs for 500 courtrooms and provides law enforcement for nine community college campuses. He wants to strengthen management by increasing the number of senior managers and hiring civilians for key technology and financial management positions. To allow this, voters should approve Charter Amendment C, also on Tuesday’s ballot.

Sheriff Baca has opposition from two sergeants, John Stites and Patrick Gomez, but neither presents a vision beyond attacking Baca. The Times endorses Sheriff Lee Baca and county Charter Amendment C.