LACo Probation Chief Jerry Powers meets the press.

[LACo Probation] – You are more likely to find Special Enforcement Officer Eric Newby and his armed unit patrolling the streets of Los Angeles searching for fugitives than mingling with tailgaters and college students but Saturday’s game between UCLA and USC is an exception for the Los Angeles County Probation Special Enforcement Officers.  “We can take enforcement to a whole new level to prevent fan violence.”

As the newest members of the Southern California Task Force on Fan Behavior, the L.A. County Probation Department is playing a key role in preventing fan violence before, during and after the event. Saturday’s big game between two notorious rivals is the first time probation officers will be used to detect and dissuade criminal behaviors. Probation officers are the only law enforcement with regular contact and intimate knowledge of the most likely offenders. They will work side by side with Pasadena police.

Chief Probation Officer Jerry Powers says statistics show that 1 out of every 130 people is on some form of probation in Los Angeles County. “Because our officers have regular contact with potential offenders, explains Chief Powers, “we have the ability through probation conditions to dictate that a person can’t hang out with their gang. We can tell them where they can go or where they can’t go and who they can associate with.”

Violate those terms by drinking and fighting in public? L.A. County Probation can take that offender out of the stadium and straight to jail.

“It’s all about fan safety” adds Lee Washington, a special enforcement probation officer who will be patrolling at Saturday’s game. “We are teaming with Pasadena Police by providing access to our probationer database to speed up the arrest and detention of those who break the law.”

Los Angeles County Probation will have two teams patrolling the tailgating partiers who are expected to arrive as early as 6:00am at the Rose Bowl this Saturday. The department will also provide Pasadena Police with a deputy who can run instantaneous background checks, provide police with immediate and specific information on outstanding warrants, gang associations and criminal history.

Los Angeles County Probation is the newest member of the Southern California Task Force on Fan Behavior. L.A. County Probation joins the Los Angeles Dodgers, Lakers, Clippers and major entertainment venues such as the Staples Center and AIG to enforce the Task Force’s Fan Code of Conduct, unveiled at an August 27, 2012 news conference. This Code of Conduct will be widely posted at the Rose Bowl and sets a higher standard for fan behavior.