DOWNEY - Donald Blevins will resign as chief probation officer of the Los Angeles County Probation Department effective Oct. 21, officials announced last week.Blevins, 59, announced his resignation is a two-sentence letter submitted to the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors on Oct. 13, citing "personal reasons." The probation department's second in command, Calvin Remington, will serve as acting chief probation officer "until further notice," county officials said in a press release. Blevins took over the Probation Department in April 2010 when it was facing several challenges and was confronted by audits by the U.S. Department of Justice, requiring many lofty improvements in the juvenile detention facilities. According to the L.A. Times, unions delivered a "no confidence" vote against Blevins this summer and county supervisors were already negotiating with Stanislaus County probation chief Jerry Powers to replace Blevins. The Los Angeles County Probation Department is headquartered on Imperial Highway in Downey.

********** Published: October 20, 2011 - Volume 10 - Issue 27