About

We, the Chief Probation Officers of California, are an association of all 58 counties with a shared identity as law enforcement leaders. We are committed to a research-based approach to public safety that promotes positive behavior change. Our leadership guides policy and practice in the areas of prevention, community-based corrections, secure detention for youth and direct human services. Our goal is to prevent crime and delinquency, reduce recidivism, restore victims and promote healthy families and communities. We proudly serve our Counties and Courts.

Our Multi-Dimensional Approach To Community Safety Includes:

• Holding clients accountable through community supervision.
• Preventing crime by changing criminal thinking.
• Objectively assessing the law and facts for individuals coming before the Court.
• Restoring victims and preventing future victimization.
• Rehabilitating our clients with evidence-informed strategies that change their behavior.
• Ensuring secure and effective detention services and successful reentry.

Mission

The mission of the Chief Probation Officers of California is to provide leadership in the mobilization, coordination, and implementation of Probation programs and provide for public protection including detention and treatment, victim services and the prevention of crime and delinquency; and to ensure the provision of quality investigations and supervision for the Courts.

History of CPOC

Probation and the position of County Probation Officer were established by law in 1903. Many counties did not appoint their first Probation Officer until the early 1920’s.

The first meetings of Chief Probation Officers for which there are written minutes were held regionally beginning in early 1950.

Prior to 1962, the Chief Probation Officers were a loose-knit group, meeting annually upon call of the Director of the Youth Authority pursuant to Section 1752.95 W&I. These were generally 3-day conferences held at Asilomar Conference center in Pacific Grove.

CPOC as an organization created their first set of by-laws at the 1960 California Probation and Parole Association conference held at the Old Whitcomb (now San Franciscan) Hotel in San Francisco. The first draft of the by-laws was written on a table napkin by Chief Dave McMillian, Orange County, Stuart Smith, San Bernardino County, Warren Thornton, Sacramento County and Bert Van Horn, Riverside County.

Chief McMillian was the first recognized president of the Chief Probation Officers Association and served 1961/62. Dues were $25 per year. The Association remained tied to the California Youth Authority until the late 1960’s when they began planning and funding their own meetings and establishing relationships with other criminal justice associations. The Association President selected a conference committee to put together the annual program. Meetings were held twice annually, usually at the CPPCA conference in the spring and at Asilomar in the fall.

In 1974, a new and formalized set of by-laws and constitution were adopted by the Association under the presidency of Cliff Romer, Santa Barbara County. It was at this time the regional concept came into being and the term of office lengthened from one to two years.

In 1976, incorporation of the association was accomplished under the guidance of President Margaret Grier, Orange County. The by-laws were signed by all the then sixty Chiefs. (Both Santa Clara and San Francisco counties had an adult and juvenile Chief Probation Officer. Santa Clara created one department in 1982). There were a number of changes made in the by-laws, including the revamping of the five regions to a more workable alignment. Prior to this, counties such as Humboldt and Del Norte were in the Bay Area region as was San Luis Obispo.

In 1978, dues were raised to $40 per year in order to conduct the necessary business of the Association and then adjusted for “proportional” size. Voting representation was designated as small, medium, large counties. Small was a county population under 100,000. These counties had one vote and annual dues of $120. Medium counties were 100,000 to 500,000 populations and had two votes and $180 dues. Large counties, with populations over 500,000, had three votes and $240 per year dues. In 1983, Proportional voting was discontinued. While dues are still set proportionally, each county has one vote.

Past CPOC Presidents

Equal Employment Opportunities (EEO)

CPOC provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment.