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Activists Wary On Choice For Alameda County Probation Chief

OAKLAND (KCBS) - As the Alameda County Board of Supervisors decides on a new chief probation officer, some in the community are hoping for transparency in the high-profile appointment.

Members from the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights said this is the perfect opportunity to appoint someone who wants to return people to the community rather than keeping them locked up.

KCBS' Bob Melrose Reports:

"We want a probation officer that takes input from the community and has an active relationship with the community and those most affected by the policies he or she will enact," said Abel Habtegeorgis with the center. "It's important because Alameda County has some of the highest rates of probation and those affected by probation."

Even though two members are leaving, the board could make this decision by the end of the year.

The former chief probation officer, who works with both adults and juveniles, left earlier this year to take a job in Southern California

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