A top Orange County sheriff’s official has been chosen to temporarily take the reigns of the nation’s largest sheriff’s department.
Los Angeles County supervisors picked Orange County Undersheriff John Scott as interim sheriff to replace beleaguered Sheriff Lee Baca.
The supervisors voted 4-0 for Scott’s appointment, with Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas abstaining.
Baca plans to step down Thursday, reports the LA Times:
Baca, who had been running for reelection, announced this month that he would drop out of the race and retire at the end of the month.
The Sheriff’s Department has been under fire over allegations of widespread misconduct and abuses in the jails, which culminated in the arrest of 18 current and former department employees late last year.
This isn’t the first time Scott has worked for Orange County’s northern neighbor, as the Times reports:
Before joining the Orange County Sheriff’s Department, Scott had retired from the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department after serving as a division chief.
Los Angeles County voters are expected to pick a new sheriff in June.
You can reach Nick Gerda at ngerda@gmail.com, and follow him on Twitter: @nicholasgerda.