After the Assaults at CVK: Should the Body Camera Bill Include Real Accountability?

Dear Sisters and Brothers,

Your Executive Board is asking all members to take a short survey regarding Assembly Bill 2419 (Quirk-Silva), new legislation that would require probation officers in the L.A. County Probation Department to wear body-worn cameras in both juvenile and adult operations.

We know many members have serious concerns about body-worn cameras. For that reason, we are asking you to weigh in specifically on whether the bill would be more acceptable if it were amended to ensure that youth and young adults are held accountable when they assault probation officers or other youth inside our facilities. The survey asks for your views on several amendments the union is considering proposing in Sacramento that would strengthen accountability and staff safety (the proposed amendments are detailed in the survey). Click here to take survey.

At the same time this legislation is being debated, our members continue to face serious safety challenges inside our facilities. On Feb. 24, GSN and Union Steward Cory Racusin was assaulted while performing his duties at Campus Vernon Kilpatrick. Incidents like this underscore the reality that probation officers regularly face violence while maintaining order and protecting both staff and the youth in our care.

Click here to read the letter we sent to the Board of Supervisors today regarding this incident and the continuing safety concerns at CVK.

Your feedback will help determine the union’s advocacy position with the Legislature.

Please take a few minutes to complete the survey. Click here to take survey.

Thank you for taking the time to share your perspective and for the work you do every day under difficult circumstances to keep our facilities safe.

In solidarity,

AFSCME Local 685 Executive Board