LOS ANGELES – County supervisors will vote Tuesday on a motion to install airport-style body scanners and expand canine units at juvenile facilities following a series of drug-related incidents, including hospitalizations from suspected toxic drug exposure.
The emergency motion by Supervisors Janice Hahn and Lindsey Horvath would direct the Probation Department to enhance screening practices and work with the Department of Public Health’s Substance Abuse Prevention and Control to offer treatment for youth with active substance use disorders.
The proposal comes after several youth and staff were hospitalized July 2 at Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall in Downey following suspected exposure to toxic drugs. The incident prompted immediate concerns about drug access within county juvenile facilities.
Two separate smuggling arrests in June highlighted ongoing security challenges. On June 10, authorities arrested a deputy probation officer accused of smuggling alprazolam into Barry J. Nidorf Juvenile Hall. On June 30, an employee of a contracted provider was arrested for allegedly attempting to smuggle more than 170 white pills into Los Padrinos.
The motion would require the Probation Department to develop a comprehensive strategy to address both drug use and smuggling within the county’s juvenile detention system. Enhanced screening measures would include installing body scanners similar to those used at airports and expanding the use of drug-detection canines.
Officials said the substance abuse treatment component would target youth with active substance use disorders, addressing both immediate health concerns and long-term recovery needs within the juvenile justice system.
The Board of Supervisors will consider the motion during its Tuesday meeting at the Kenneth Hahn Hall of Administration, 500 W Temple St., beginning at 9:30 a.m. The meeting can be streamed live on the Board’s website or on its YouTube channel.
Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall in Downey serves as one of the county’s primary juvenile detention facilities, housing youth awaiting trial or serving sentences. Barry J. Nidorf Juvenile Hall, located in Sylmar, is another major county facility that has experienced similar security concerns.
County officials have not disclosed the specific types of toxic drugs involved in the July 2 incident at Los Padrinos, but the hospitalizations raised immediate questions about how controlled substances enter the facilities and the health risks posed to both youth and staff.
If approved, the Probation Department would be required to report back to the Board of Supervisors with implementation timelines and cost estimates for the enhanced screening measures and expanded treatment programs.
