LOS ANGELES, Jan. 7 (UPI) -- Longtime Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca, his bid for re-election to a fifth term clouded by twin corruption investigations, said Tuesday he will retire.
Baca, 71, who's been sheriff for 15 years, had been a popular public figure for much of his tenure but recent allegations of systemic abuse in the county's jail system have raised questions. The U.S. Justice Department recently concluded an investigation into the jails and charged 18 current or former deputies with crimes for what's been characterized as widespread inmate abuse and departmental obstruction of the federal investigation.
A second investigation, which is still ongoing, is looking into allegations patrol deputies regularly targeted black residents in the county's housing projects for illegal searches, the Los Angeles Times reported.
On Tuesday, Baca denied the investigations had anything to do with his decision to retire, saying he wished to leave office "on his own terms" and lauded deputies for their "integrity and professionalism."
"In my opinion, your sheriff's department is the greatest law enforcement agency in the world," Baca said.
Baca, who encountered minimal or no opposition the past several elections, faced a tough battle this year with his former top administrator and a former department commander with many political observers openly questioning whether he could win a fifth term. He recently signed onto a proposal by the county's Board of Supervisors to install a permanent civilian oversight committee at the department in response to the corruption and abuse allegations.
