About
About the OIG
The mission of the Office of Inspector General is to promote transparency, constitutional policing, and the fair and impartial administration of justice.
The Office of Inspector General (OIG) was created by ordinance 6.44.190 in 2014, as part of the Board of Supervisors' duty to supervise the official conduct of County officers under Government Code section 25303. The purpose of the Office is to promote constitutional policing and the fair and impartial administration of justice, and to facilitate the Board of Supervisors' responsibility. The OIG shall provide independent and comprehensive oversight, monitoring of, and reporting about the Sheriff's Department and Probation Department (collectively, the Departments), and serve as the investigative arm of the Los Angeles County Sheriff Civilian Oversight Commission and Probation Oversight Commission. The Inspector General serves as special counsel to the Board of Supervisors, the Civilian Oversight Commission, and the Probation Oversight Commission.
The Inspector General
ERIC BATES, INTERIM INSPECTOR GENERAL
Mr. Bates was appointed in December 2025 as interim Inspector General by the Board of Supervisors after previously serving in his position as Assistant Inspector General, where he oversaw reviews of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s and Probation Departments in uses of forces, conditions of confinement, and employee misconduct. He began his public service career in 1994 with the Los Angeles Public Defender’s Office, following two and a half years in private litigation. Mr. Bates has also served for five years as a Special Assistant Inspector General with the California Office of the Inspector General, where he was responsible for oversight of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, including monitoring use-of-force reviews and its response to critical incidents within the institutions. With 15 years of experience as a Deputy Attorney General with the California Department of Justice, Mr. Bates has extensive experience in leading extensive investigations. Mr. Bates holds a doctorate in Law from Whittier College.
