County’s New Chief Probation Officer Rose Through The Ranks
Steve Pecor, a long-time Placer Countyemployee who started as an extra-help worker and rose steadily through the ranks of the Probation Department, has been named the county’s chief probation officer.
Pecor has been serving as assistant chief probation officer. He will assume his new duties July 8.
Frederick Morawcznski, the county’s chief probation officer for the last three years, is retiring.
Pecor came to PlacerCountyas an extra-help deputy probation officer in 1982. He served as a senior deputy probation officer from 1992-94, a supervisor-manager from 1994-99, probation manager from 1999-2005 and assistant chief probation officer since June 2005.
“We are very fortunate to have someone who has risen through the ranks of the ProbationDepartment-and has been successful every step along the way,” County Executive Officer Thomas M. Miller said. “He has a thorough understanding of the department, the support of its staff and a close working relationship with the Placer County Superior Court.”
Miller selected Pecor for the Probation Department’s top position after consulting with Superior Court judges. The countyBoardof Supervisors voted June 27 to ratify the selection.
“I’m humbled and honored to be selected as chief, and I think it reflects well on the entire department for someone who has come up through the ranks to be chosen,” Pecor said.
He said he expects the transition to be smooth because Morawcznski is leaving behind a department that is in good shape and the Probation Department is fortunate to have strong support from other county departments, the courts and outside law enforcement agencies.
In PlacerCounty, the chief probation officer oversees an annual budget of about $18 million and a staff of almost 150 people.
The department supervises approximately 2,200 adults and 550 minors placed on probation by the courts. It also manages a range of programs aimed at preventing or reducing the severity of juvenile crime.
This fall, the Probation Department will move its administrative offices and most of its juvenile operations to the AuburnJusticeCenter, a two-story, 98,750-square-foot building being constructed at the PlacerCountyGovernmentCenterin Auburn.
Next year, the department will move many of its adult programs to the SouthPlacer JusticeCenter, a project the county is constructing west of Highway 65 in Rosevilleto provide courtrooms, office space and other justice-related facilities to better serve the rapidly growing communities in South Placer.
Pecor noted his department also will have a new caseload-management computer system in place this fall.
“There are a lot of positive things lined up,” he explained.
Before he came to PlacerCounty, Pecor worked in the probation departments of Sacramentoand Solano counties. He has a bachelor of arts degree from CaliforniaStateUniversityat Sacramento.