PROBATION OFFICER HAS SEEN MANY CHANGES.

Byline: Bettie Rencoret Senior columnist

Supervising Deputy Probation Officer Gary Lippman wears two hats these days in the local offices of the Los Angeles County Probation Department.

He divides his time between the new home of the juvenile division at 321 E. Ave. K-4 and the adult division still in the courts complex at Avenue J and 10th Street West.

Roller-coaster changes have occurred many times in the local offices over the years, but fluctuations have been more pronounced in this decade.

The changes include the rise and fall of personnel and caseload figures, budget cuts and reinstatements, housing moves and department consolidations.

``We have a unique situation up here and special problems. Transportation, for instance. That's a major one. If someone who doesn't drive is ordered by the court to attend counseling and the buses aren't running, what does he do? He's in violation of a court order if he doesn't comply, but there's no transportation available to him.''

Language poses another problem affecting both juveniles and adults, he said.

``There aren't enough Spanish-speaking professionals here,'' he said. ``There are a lot, and they're good, but there's still not enough to handle the load.''

``Most of the changes in the last 10 years have been beneficial in the long run,'' he said. ``Of course, you know there is always some resistance at first to anything that is different.''

One example is the new centralization of all local juvenile services into a single building, which he said creates better communication among all units involved in juvenile-crime prevention or rehabilitation.

When Lippman's juvenile field office was moved from the old county engineer's building, the courts complex, into the old Social Security Office in the Lancaster Business Park, it was a major change.

His staff now shares housing with the Gang Alternative Prevention group, headed by Supervising Deputy Probation Officers Bob Laich and Rachel Rodriguez.

Lippman and Laich are used to working together. They both spent several years working in the courts complex field office, Lippman as a juvenile officer and Laich with an adult caseload before his efforts were diverted to juveniles.

Both have been active in community affairs.

Lippman has served as Probation's county representative to the Children's Planning Council. He is a member of the Child Abuse Task Force and the advisory board of the Antelope Valley Youth and Family Referral Service.

He serves on the advisory committee for the Highland High School Law and Government Academy and is a member of the Systems of CARE, a collaborative of five agencies that provides counseling and restrictive care placements.

A graduate of California State University, Northridge, in 1966 with a degree in social sciences, Lippman went on to earn a master's degree in education psychology in 1974.

He has added the job of adjunct instructor in the administration of justice program at Antelope Valley College to his already full schedule.

``We have great rapport here,'' he said. ``Not only in the community but within the Probation units and among all of the county agencies involved with youth, like the Department of Children's and Family Services. We're all dedicated to what is good for the community and, of course, in this office we think that benefits our probationers.''

Born and raised in the Los Angeles area, Lippman grew up learning his work ethic from his parents, down-to-earth people who believed in doing an honest day's work.

When he finished college he enlisted in the U.S. Navy and served in Cuba and Florida from 1967 to 1969, achieving the rank of Petty Officer.

After he was mustered out he went to work as an ``as needed'' Deputy Probation Officer I, at Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall in Downey. He became a full-time probation officer in 1973.

In 1982 he came to work in the Antelope Valley field office.

``In 1989 we had three juvenile probation officers,'' he said, ``then the population explosion happened and that number mushroomed to six.''

The many programs of the Probation Department have expanded in the last few years beyond all expectations, he said. ``This is no longer a sleepy community.''

Since funding has not always kept up with the expansions, he became an active member of the 4-Cs, an oversight committee whose purpose is to apply for grants and program financing.

``We now have a gang officer,'' he said, ``and two units of school-related probation officers, some assigned on-site to the high school campuses.''

He said one of the long range goals of the department is to lower caseloads of both juvenile and adult divisions so they are more manageable.

``Since more resources are being made available now, through collaborative sources, it looks like this is feasible,'' he said.

The week's menus have been announced for senior life nutrition sites in Lancaster, Palmdale and Pearblossom. All meals include bread, margarine and coffee, tea or milk for the suggested donation of $2.

Monday: Chili egg puff, chili beans, spinach, coleslaw, citrus sections.

Tuesday: Braised beef, noodles, green beans, carrot-and-raisin salad, juice, oatmeal cookies.

Wednesday: Meatloaf, mashed potatoes, peas and carrots, cottage cheese with pineapple, banana.

Thursday: Tuna pasta salad, pea salad, garden salad, Jell-O with fruit, grape juice.

Friday: Creole chicken, scalloped potatoes, broccoli, marinated salad, vanilla pudding.