The Imperial County Board of Supervisors has named its new probation department leader.
The board unanimously supported local Benny Benavidez to take over the department, affirming the Superior Court judges' decision made Friday.
Benavidez has served as the former Department of Corrections' probation regional director. He will take over for the interim chief James “Jim” Moffett. Moffett has served as the head of the department after the former chief had been put on administrative leave because of disputes within the department.
Some of the issues that have been brought up since the probation officers’ union gave a vote of no confidence to chief Martin Krizay more than a year ago include the California Public Employment Relations Board concluding that Krizay engaged in a series of acts last year that interfered with the employee rights of probation officers. Krizay’s final day as the area’s probation department leader was Aug. 31, 2010, and Moffett came in to take over in mid-October.
More information about the new chief, as well as thoughts from local leaders, will be available in Wednesday's edition of the Imperial Valley Press.
