Rina Palta

An oversight body of the L.A. County Sheriff’s Dept. found progress in how it handles discipline and inmate abuse allegations. But it also points to areas where there is work to be done.

"Serious" use of force incidents dropped in LA County jails in 2013. But the overall use of force rose, especially at Twin Towers Correctional Facility, which houses L.A.'s mentally ill inmates.

The supervisors met out of the public eye in closed session. They have scheduled another meeting for Thursday to again discuss an interim sheriff.

Figures released Tuesday show a decline in the number of employees arrested. The employees union president downplayed the statistics, saying they go up and down all the time.

An unusually rowdy meeting of a state corrections board Thursday drew malcontent county sheriffs and anti-jail protesters to an L.A. County jail in Lynwood.

L.A. County's risk specialists told the Board of Supervisors that costs associated with litigation have dropped. But they warned it may increase due to recent issues at the sheriff's department.

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors will convene in closed session Tuesday to discuss temporary replacements for retiring Sheriff Lee Baca.

Talks have broken down between state officials and attorneys representing California prison inmates in a case that went before the U.S. Supreme Court.

Governor Jerry Brown's proposed budget, released Thursday, contains a host of public safety proposals, some more daring than others.

There are laws about certifications a sheriff must have. County supervisors and lawyers are working to determine the qualifications for whoever will complete Baca's term.

Embattled Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca announced his plans to retire at the end of the month at a press conference Tuesday morning.

Initial data from 2013 show the lowest violent crime numbers for the city in 41 years. But the number of officer-involved shootings more than doubled in a year.