LOS ANGELES — Lee Baca, the Los Angeles County Sheriff, announced Jan. 7 that he would retire at the end of the month, rather than seek a fifth term after several years of controversy.
Baca's announcement comes a month after federal prosecutors brought charges against 18 current and former sheriff's deputies on allegations of inmate beatings and obstruction of justice.
The 71-year-old has been the sheriff for 15 years.
"I have been proud and honored to serve the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department and the people of Los Angeles County for the past 48 years - which has made this decision the most difficult of my professional life," Baca said in a statement.
He cited the negative perception the sheriff's campaign has brought to the department among his reasons for retiring.
In addition to the FBI investigation, the sheriff's department has been the subject of criticism from a blue-ribbon commission organized by the county's Board of Supervisors to look into allegations of inmate abuse by corrections officers.
The sheriff's department also staffs the county jails.
The department, like other counties across the state, also has been struggling to deal with additional prisoners moved to county jails from state prisons as part of the state's realignment process to reduce overcrowding.
A three-judge panel extended a meet-an-confer process for state and prisoner attorneys on prison conditions for the third time on Dec. 11, according to court documents.
The parties have until Jan. 10 to reach an agreement.
The state has until April 18 to reduce the prison population to levels deemed acceptable by the U.S. District Court judges.
