Riverside board affirms appointment of new probation chief

The Board of Supervisors on Tuesday affirmed the appointment of a longtime probation officer to head the Riverside County Probation Department, a decision he called “the highest honor” he had ever received.

“He deserves this position,” Supervisor Manuel Perez said of the appointment of Christopher Wright. “He cares. He’s compassionate, and he’s been in this line of work for 25 years.”

Wright takes over from former Chief Probation Officer Ron Miller, who retired last month after just over three and a half years in the position and several decades in law enforcement.

“This is the highest honor and achievement I’ve been blessed with in my life,” Wright told the board. “I promise to lead, together with my staff, as we strive for excellence. We’ll provide quality services where there’s a need. There will be challenges ahead, but we can have the impact we’ve been striving to achieve for years.”

Wright, who worked directly under Miller, will be the 12th person to head the Probation Department since it was established, and he noted that he is Riverside County’s first Black probation chief.

“No road is too hard or too far,” he said. “Set your goals high.”

The incoming chief said he has formulated a strategic plan for guiding the agency’s operations going forward, one that includes expanding payrolls.

“We’re hiring,” he said. “Anybody need a job out there? If you truly want to work for one of the best departments in the state, come work for us.”

Wright and other applicants were vetted by a selection committee that answered to the county’s Juvenile Justice & Delinquency Prevention Commission. Perez and Supervisor Chuck Washington were members of the committee, along with two Superior Court judges and several executive officers from county government.

The committee submitted Wright’s name for nomination, and county Presiding Judge Judith Clark approved the recommendation.

The board formally signed off on Clark’s appointment, and authorized a $244,339 annual salary for the new chief.

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