With our free press under threat and federal funding for public media gone, your support matters more than ever. Help keep the LAist newsroom strong, become a monthly member or increase your support today.
Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall Goes On Lockdown Days After County Completed Transfer Of Hundreds Of Kids
Barbed wire lines the walls of Central Juvenile Hall in Los Angeles. The incident Friday took place at Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall.
(
Chava Sanchez
/
LAist
)
The Los Angeles County Probation Department said in a statement Friday night that a gun was found at around 10 a.m. at Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall in Downey. The department said the firearm was found in “an area only accessible to staff.”
“No youth had access to it, and nobody was injured,” the department said in a statement emailed to LAist.
The L.A. Times reported that the firearm was found in a location that youth could access, citing anonymous sources.
The backstory
In May, the Board of State and Community Corrections (BSCC) gave L.A. County 60 days to transfer nearly 300 incarcerated youths to Los Padrinos juvenile hall in Downey after it found facilities in Sylmar and near downtown L.A. to be unsuitable.
Sponsored message
The L.A. County Probation Department said earlier this week it had completed the move ahead of schedule. In a statement on Wednesday, Guillermo Viera Rosa, the interim probation chief, said the county had gone “from Mission Impossible to mission accomplished.”
The reaction to Friday's incident
“This is absolutely unacceptable. Every single person entering our juvenile facilities is supposed to be searched by security, including all staff and visitors. If this current security company is unable to do that, we should find a new one,” said L.A. County Supervisor Janice Hahn in an emailed statement.
What's next
The Probation Department said that, as of Friday afternoon at around 5pm, the facility remained on lockdown as local law enforcement worked on investigating.
Sponsored message
At LAist, we believe in journalism without censorship and the right of a free press to speak truth to those in power. Our hard-hitting watchdog reporting on local government, climate, and the ongoing housing and homelessness crisis is trustworthy, independent and freely accessible to everyone thanks to the support of readers like you.
But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
