John Scott to replace Lee Baca as Los Angeles County Sheriff

Orange County Sheriff’s Department Undersheriff

John Scott

Orange County Sheriff’s Department Undersheriff John Scott will replace Lee Baca as Sheriff of Los Angeles County.

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors appointed Scott today.

He has 36 years of law enforcement experience.

He retired from the LA County Sheriff’s Department as the division chief of custody operations and joined the Orange County sheriff’s force.

Baca is set to retire at noon Thursday.

Baca and his department have been under fire over allegations of mistreatment of jail inmates. Eighteen former and current sheriff’s deputies have so far been indicted in an ongoing federal investigation.

Assistant Sheriff Terri McDonald took over management of the county jails last year in response to demands for reform from the Citizens’ Commission on Jail Violence.

Baca suggested that she would make the best choice for interim sheriff, but McDonald did not meet the state qualifications for the job.

Voters will elect a new sheriff either in a June primary or November run-off election.

KCRW’s Steve Chiotakis discussed the selection with Robert Faturechi, reporter for the Los Angeles Times.